Pain, restlessness, buzzing.

Karastiphon rose from the deep, dry ocean, dizzy and disengaged, his eyes hazy by the blinding light.

He subconsciously wanted to rub his aching temples with his hands, and then the slow, sluggish force feedback reminded him of his current state.

He's not dead yet.

"."

Karastiphon muttered.

Realizing this, Karastiphon ceased any activity, and he patiently stood still, waiting for himself to recover.

His eyes began to adjust to the blinding white light, and it was then that he realized that the white light that had just stabbed him was not dazzling, but rather dim, with the characteristic dimness of the Stoic.

When he finally got used to it all, including his mutilated body, and the rotten situation he was in, Karastiphon raised his eyes, and sure enough, he saw a familiar, tall figure.

"Motarian?"

Karastiphon shouted hesitantly and with some sarcasm, unsure whether the mockery in his tone was to himself or to Motarian.

The Lord of Death was sitting quietly in a simple chair, his armor covered in dried blood and the obvious dents of impact, as if he had just been through a vicious fight.

Karastiphon allowed himself a second to imagine if this could be the scar from Motarian after killing Hades?

The imagination gave him a subtle, wicked sense of satisfaction, as if to make up for his current inadequacy, and he shifted his gaze to look straight into Motarian's eyes.

Motarian looked tired, very tired, but his bright yellow eyes glistened in the shadow of his hood.

[Karastiphon, long time no see.] 】

Mortarian sighed, and the original seemed to want to say something, but it froze.

Karastiphon watched in silence as there were two death guards in the doorway, one of whom he could identify as Garo and the other as a technical sergeant.

— but Hades wasn't there.

"Where's Hades?"

Callas asked bluntly.

Motari paused, and spoke hoarsely,

[Left, he went to Terra.] 】

Kalas raised an eyebrow,

"He's finally leaving you behind? Like you left me behind? ”

"It's a pity, Motarian, I was hoping to see Hades, and then I could taunt him and say that you were left behind."

After all, the original bodies are different, and they are born strangers.

Karathiphon watched with satisfaction as Motarion's brows furrowed deeply, and that's it, Kalas thought, and then Mortarian would run away, taking with him his own cruel words, and then throw himself into this forgotten corner.

But Motarian didn't leave, and though he seemed unhappy with Callas's words, he sat there steadily.

[If you are still feeling regret about that scene. 】

Mortarian said calmly and softly, disgusting, and Kalas felt in a trance that Motarian seemed to be trying to comfort himself.

But the next second it was really disgusting.

[Then I apologize, Karas.] 】

Kalas felt like the gastric juice in his empty pouch was about to turn up, but Motarian was still talking, and it was strange that Motarian wouldn't refute the mockery.

[It was my negligence, I should have noticed all this.] 】

Motarian calmly looked at the dreadnought machine that contained Karastiphon, in a sense, the giant iron guy was already Kalas himself.

After Hades left, the Death Guard quickly plunged into another battlefield, Cajor, where they met the hominids who roared with blood and skulls, and the altars made of skulls.

It took them three full months to finish the campaign, and even though the only weapons on the other side were rudimentary swords and flintlock muskets, blood red monsters erupted from the darkness and ominous flames at nightfall, and the local primitives apparently knew how to drive them.

Witchcraft again.

Motarian scoffed at this.

The Lord of Death already knew what to do with this, and he carefully and skillfully placed Company Zero on the battlefield, and by now, even the Hounds had learned that the Death Guard had a team of restraining psionics.

Eventually, with the cooperation of the three Spirit Knights, Motarian succeeded in beheading the leader of the Cajoles, a madman who was so strong that he almost mutated.

Without Company Zero, it would have taken longer and at a much greater cost for the Death Guard to put an end to this.

Motarian understood this deeply.

What was Mortarian thinking when he led the Death Guard in the forest to fight the bloodthirsty monsters, when he commanded the knights in the channel to outflank the wizard forces on the other side, when he fought the leader on the other side, and heard the roar of Ribo in the channel?

What was he thinking?

Unbeknownst to Motarian, he hurried over the battle, he returned to his office, held the pen in his bloodied hand, and wrote the report announcing the end of the war, then he looked up and stared at the two framed, out of place letters on the wall.

So stupid, he thought.

Then he opened the channel, and without further thought, he called Enrique, the master of the Death Guard's forge, a Terara, who was not familiar with the heir.

[Enrique, wake up Karastiphon, and call Garo over.] 】

He said that, though he didn't know what he was talking about.

Then he sat abruptly in front of Karastiphon, who was about to awaken.

He heard Karastiphon's yelling, which gave him a strong urge to leave, but he couldn't just wake up a dreadnought and shut him up, even if it was the original, it wouldn't be appropriate.

Karastiphon was still the one in memory, and he stung Motarian with his sharp words, but he was right.

Motarian apologized dryly.

The words were stuck in his throat, not like facing Horus, who could easily say things that disgusted him, or like facing Hades, who could say whatever he wanted.

He was stuck, and Motarian wanted to know what had happened to Karastiphon, and he wanted to know what had happened to Karas now......

And...... Motarian hopes that Callas still has the possibility of moving forward, though he needs to scrutinize that severely.

In a sense, a Kalas who sleeps in the dreadnought, like a badge on display in the Hall of Glory, symbolizes a past in which Motarian once made mistakes.

A stubborn and prejudiced past.

Under the gas mask, Motari breathed quietly a few times before he decided to say what he wanted to say.

[Callas, after you fell asleep, the Death Guard went through a lot, the Battle of Drune, the Battle of Just, the Battle of Absdu, and some other ......]

"What do you want to express, Motarian?"

Karastiphon is always like this, sharp enough.

Motari settled,

【…… I want you to keep up with the Death Guard, and not be a shattered silhouette of the old days, thrown into battle with an understaffed situation, and then forced to hibernate again. 】

There was silence for Karastiphon, and after a pause, Karatha laughed.

"Thank you for your kindness, but they came a little late."

[It's better than nothing.] 】

It's another silence, and it's long since old friends don't have much in common.

The Lord of Death was the first to speak,

[Karas, if you still wish to die. 】

[Then I can...... Help you. 】

Callas's pupils twitched.

Of course he begged to die, and he deserved to die long before Barbarus, instead of being imprisoned in this small corner as a piece of flesh that was not human or ghost, and he had mocked Hades many times, just to get him to kill himself in a fit of rage.

But by mistake, looking at Mortarian covered in blood in front of him, perhaps Callas's long-dormant desire to survive suddenly exploded, perhaps he was really motivated by the battles that the Death Guard had experienced, or perhaps the fact that Mortarian had been abandoned by Hades made Karastiphon feel a long-lost pleasure......

Carlaston for a moment, well, he was unwilling, he was afraid of death, he didn't want to leave like that.

He changed his tone to a relaxed tone,

"No, Motarian, I'm thinking that the next time I wake up, I might hear better news—like Hades abandoned you this time."

Motarian shook his head.

You don't have to be mean, Karas. 】

If you really take pleasure in the suffering of others, then ...... I may have other news to share with you. 】

Callas provoked his voice,

"For example?"

[In fact, there have been rumors of Hades circulating inside the Death Guard......]

Kalas frowned.

[And I recently learned that the rumor was not that Hades was heroic, but that he collapsed a recruit's bed - and that Hades tried to escape, but was discovered by the poor recruit.] 】

…… Motarian looked at Karas, and Kalas looked back at Motarian.

Motarian seemed to be asking him if it wasn't funny.

After a moment of absolute silence, an astonishing burst of laughter erupted from the dreadnought stuffy can.

Kalas didn't know if it was because Motarian was telling a bad joke that was more memorable for him, or if he was really gloating over Hades' tragic experience.

Also, Hades himself is indeed heavy, and Kalas is very sure of this, as he has been dragged off by Hades purely by his weight.

None.

And, Motarian lied to Callas, I mean he told a bad joke.

(End of chapter)