Leon El Johnson sat in silence on his throne, staring at everyone below.

The combination of ivory armrests and obsidian bases, two distinct but highly similar coldnesses, brought him to a new realm, and he began to look at the knights of the hall with a more rational and ruthless eye.

Interestingly, what prompted this ruthlessness was the majestic fury that was roaring in his heart at the moment.

He was furious, but he remained silent. Four hundred and thirty-one pairs of quiet eyes looked at the male lion and said nothing. They waited for the lion's words or commands, and waited without complaint.

Then Leon spoke.

"Honor." He spat out a word, his tone cold. "How else am I going to pursue it?"

His words sent ripples of unease among the four hundred and thirty-one knights. Admittedly, this phrase has no head and no tail, but it comes from the mouth of a lion. That's why it's worth paying attention to.

Luthor sensed all this keenly, and the pain in his heart grew stronger.

He always had been - the knights didn't respect him just for his abilities. Leon ElJohnson only allows his kindness and closeness to leak out in a few moments, unlike Luther.

He's not a slick guy who works left and right, and he's just as honorable and principled, but he's much friendlier than a lion. If you had to choose someone at the banquet to be the first to speak, even Leon himself, I'm afraid he would choose Luther.

Because of this, he can almost predict what will happen next.

And Leon El Johnson did not fail him.

"We are the angels of darkness, we seek honor and victory, and we evaluate ourselves as watchmen in the darkness. We are not afraid to talk about sacrifice, in fact, we have sacrificed more than anyone else. But what about now? He snapped. We swore to remember the names of every deceased, and some of you have broken your vows! ”

He looked around, his eyes like flint rubbing, the pure flames of anger descending on the halls of the Indomitable Truth. The knights had no one to speak, and they did not choose to defend themselves.

"I don't know who that man is, but what he's looking for has gone from glory and victory to a shadow of both! Isn't that ridiculous? A man who chases shadows."

The lion finally stood up from his throne, his waist empty, and the blade of his sword was not there. Coswayne stood at his side with his head bowed, his hands raised flat, the blade resting on top of his hands along with the scabbard.

"We seek victory, but we never lose sight of sacrifice." The lion said in a low voice. He stopped looking at the knights and turned his gaze to Coswayne.

The knight who did not belong to any wing was not wearing a helmet, his face was expressionless, he lowered his head and stared at the ground in front of him. The distorted light cast by the stained glass hit his spine, and he felt like a thorn in his back when he shouldn't have felt anything.

It's not because of the light, it's because of the lion's gaze.

Leon Elzhuangsen reached out to him and drew his sword. The sound of metal clashing is so fascinating, but it's also chilling. With a sword in one hand, Leon strode straight down the steps and left the throne.

Luthor watched him leave, falling into a gloomy silence.

"Each of you, you have one more chance." Leon Aljonson said calmly. "There are always people who want to listen to wishes and confessions, the former that I can't fulfill, but the latter that I can. What else do you have to say? ”

"We didn't break our vows, Lion." A knight spoke dullly.

"We do remember everyone's name. I have been in the army for twenty-seven years, and four hundred and sixty-six loyalists have been executed under my command. I remember the names of each of them, the positions of each of them. I didn't let them suffer when I did it, and they were confirmed as dead in battle, a glorious death. I have never erased anyone's honor. ”

Leon looked over, his gaze striking the speaking knight like lightning, causing him to inevitably shudder.

Luthor looked over as well, and he could identify who he really was by the intricate coat of arms on the knight's right shoulder armor—this was Sergeant Deathwing, a former member of the Crown Celestial Army, and one of the warriors of the Order of the Broken Crown.

His name is Steynos Atalyre and he is a stubborn man.

A stubborn, courageous, loyal man.

Luthor began to pray for him, but, to whom?

He didn't have an answer.

The male lion walked over, his steps were light, and the soles of his feet barely touched the ground. There is no majesty in this set of steps, and it is not a step that should appear in a conversation situation.

He walked over with a sword in one hand, and the blade of the sword shone with a brilliance that was impossible to look at.

"Attarel."

"I'm here, Primordial."

"I trust you." Leon said softly. "You have never lied to me, and your past exploits have proven yourself, you are a great warrior, a valiant knight, you have compassion, and you abide by the rules of conduct. But on what basis do you represent someone else? ”

He lifted his sword and rested it gently on Attaler's left shoulder.

"Why do you represent someone else?" Leon asked calmly.

"Look at these people, do you know them, Atalyre? You're together day and night, but do you really know them? Don't confide in me easily, don't blurt out affirmations. Because you don't know them, if they really are what you know, then it won't happen. ”

He withdrew his sword, his movements not merging, and the blade and armor rubbed against each other, making a screeching sound.

Steynos Attaler endured it in silence, but Luthor's brow began to furrow. He knew very well that this was just the beginning, and that the lion would not rest until he had the answer and the truth.

"Take off your helmets." Leon ordered. His words were immediately executed, his helmet removed, and he was caught between his arms. With the sound of metal grinding, four hundred and thirty-one different faces were exposed to the cold air.

They all tilted their heads and stared at the male lion without squinting. Leon looked back one by one, but did not speak. After a while, he smiled, a smile that was so cold that it seemed like the embodiment of frost and storm.

"Brave."

The lion stepped into the crowd, his blade hanging low. He was taller than all of them, but at this moment his figure disappeared into the jungle of pitch-black and dark green steel.

Luthor tried his best to capture Leon's figure, but all he could see was a golden shadow.

"Honor."

Leon's voice sounded from the back of the hall, with coldness, he didn't have a sound device, and his voice alone filled the hall with echoes.

"Humility."

The blade began to rub against the ground, making a screeching sound.

"Justice, honesty, mercy, sacrifice. Seven virtues, seven virtues that are often talked about, but never required of everyone to live up to – are you listening? ”

The lion roared abruptly, his roar merging with the grinding of his blades into an even more terrifying sound, like thunder.

"I know you're listening, you despicable rat! You hide in my legions, take the last treasures of the victims, twist what we do, and sprinkle cursed blood on our honor! Do you think I can't catch you? ”

Blonde hair fluttering, bearded beard, furious male lion darted through the steel jungle like a real Caliban lion, shouting at the trees, glaring, persecuting. He looked at each and every one of them with hateful eyes.

The naked hatred caught even Luthor on the steps, and his heart sank, knowing that things were slipping to the most unacceptable side.

Leon Eltheusson's obsession with honor is driving him to dig into the truth by destroying the Legion's ties and bonds.

Will he get an answer? Luthor didn't know, but he knew that today's events would inevitably create a crisis within the Legion. Moreover, this kind of crisis is the most terrible kind.

Once there is a rift in trust, it can no longer be healed.

Worse still, this trend is emerging. Luthor had seen the knights looking at each other, and they were watching each other. Trying to figure out who is the mouse.

"Come out!"

The lion roared.

"Thou hast hid among my glorious knights, thou hast stolen their honour, their blood and their friendship, thou hast clothed thyself with a light of the same color with which thou hast not deserved, but thou hast not deserved to stand with them! A few minutes ago, I tried to give you the respect you deserved, but you threw it on the ground with your own hands! Traitors, dregs, rats! ”

His anger and words made the hall tremble, the knights stared at each other, and the atmosphere of danger was converging. The old friendship is being replaced by a new kind of doubt, they still value each other, and they are still able to remember every detail of their time with each other.

However, the way they see each other has changed.

From brothers, partners and like-minded comrades, turned into potential traitors.

Luthor closed his eyes in pain, and he could hear his heart beating. He didn't have two hearts, he only had one. Its sound is dull, like the pendulum of an antique clock.

Listening to the bell, Luther inevitably fell into thought.

The lion was still angrily pressing everyone into questioning, and his voice was like a missile whistling and a battleship sinking.

Luthor listened to them bitterly, his thoughts sinking to the bottom of the sea. He became a complete bystander. Leon Elzhuangson's trust allowed him to stand on the top of the steps unharmed, but he did not feel good.

As the Grand Mentor of the Legion, Luthor had long regarded this place as his home. His family is gone, and his only ties are Leon and the Legion

Wait, Legion?

A sudden burst of fire burned in Luthor's chest.

For the Legion, Leon El Johnson is different. Luthor said to herself. None of them could disobey him, and their obedience was not only due to Leon El-Johnson's abilities and merits, but also because of his blood, and because he was a lion.

But I can.

Luthor thought of the reserves, the remodeling. Yes, blood.

They have the blood of Leon El Johnson in their bodies.

The connection of the blood, let them obey him, one hundred percent obedience, if so. There can be no so-called traitors——!

Luther opened his eyes, his pupils constricted, his teeth clenched.

He realized it, but the lion didn't.

Leon's mind was still stuck in the Knights of Order, and he believed that the respect he had gained was simply because of his own merits. He didn't realize what was hidden behind the sick obedience.

The Lion is struggling for an answer, one that will save the Legion from greater shame. However, the answer he was looking for probably did not exist at all.

He could not find a traitor, because there were no traitors at all.

Luther looked up.

No.

No, he must not let this matter continue to develop, and at that time, what will become of the legion? Everyone is suspicious of each other, and the brotherhood is gone? No, I'm afraid it's much more than that.

Those intricate organizational structures, with one ring of secrecy and one ring of secrecy, will be a helper.

The more he thought about it, the more terrifying it became. His fingers had even begun to tremble, but in contrast to his heart, which was gradually calming down at the moment.

The truth? The truth is the absence of the truth. Leon AlJohnson was destined not to find what he was looking for, because it didn't exist. Luther raised his eyes and began to stare at the world before him.

The main hall is resplendent with gold, and traces of Caliban are everywhere. The ground was black bedrock, and the stone was cold just to look at.

There are only two sources of light in the temple, a huge sixteen-cornered chandelier hanging from overhead, and stained glass above the throne. The knights were blinded with their light, but their expressions were so eerie that they did not dare to look at them directly.

Leon El Johnson walked between them, still pressing for the truth of his needs. He was inquiring about another knight, every battle, every name.

The former stared coldly, and the latter replied bitterly, one fifteen and ten, without omission. Luthor knew the man wasn't lying, but the lion apparently didn't think so.

He doesn't trust them anymore.

Who caused such a tragedy?

Luthor sighed, her lips slightly open, and made her own voice.

He was no taller than anyone else, but he had courage and a vow in his heart at the moment.

"Leon." Luther called calmly. "Stop."

The lion, in his rage, jerked his head back.

Luther trembled his fingers as he walked down the stairs of the throne. Coswayne looked at his back and suddenly felt a strangeness.

"What's the matter?" The male lion asked coldly, his tone not kind and full of danger.

"I want you to stop." Luthor said. "It is not the duty of a knight to press them into questioning them in this way, and to judge a group of innocent men."

"I know you're soft-hearted, Luther, so I didn't put you in charge of this." The lion slowly raised the blade of his sword, laying it flat on his chest. The blade covered the left side of his face, and his blonde hair fluttered. "But don't speak for them, especially at this time. On what basis do you say they are innocent? ”

He turned his head, his eyes sharper than the blade of his sword, and stabbed all the knights in the face, and his roar continued to erupt in the hall: "How do you know which of them is innocent and who is a traitor?" ”

"If you follow your reasoning, I could even say that there are many traitors, Leon." Luthor clenched his fists, his tone still soft. "A Thousand Sins, Eternal Suffering"

The male lion narrowed his eyes and smiled abruptly: "yes, why didn't I think of it?" That's true, you're right, Great Guru, there can be many traitors. How can this kind of thing that can be hidden from the world and played out under everyone's nose be done by just one person? ”

"No, it's not like that, Leon."

Luthor said as he walked slowly to the knights. He raised his hand and began to disassemble his armor with his bare hands—like the lion, he was wearing a suit of more ceremonial than actual combat.

Its main body is composed of Caliban's green and silver accents, surrounding the cuirass and shoulder plates, the white knight's burqa he took off first, then the shoulder armor, arm armor and cuirass, and so on, the sound of metal colliding with the ground.

Half a minute later, Luther, dressed only in an ascetic's black robe, stood in front of everyone. There was no expression on his face, and neither did the lion that was staring at him.

"What does that mean?" The male lion asked in an extremely slow voice.

"I'm the only sinner." Luthor said. "Being able to cross the world with the power of one person is something that only I can do in the legion. It is I who sow the curse on your heads, and it is I who bring your honor to shame. I was the author of Sgt. Tlynver Ratton's death, and I was present in that battle. ”

The lion lowered his sword.

"What are you doing?" He asked, his expression not seeming to ease. "What are you talking about, Luther?"

"I'm confessing my sins." Luthor lied, a big lie, but his expression remained calm. His back was sore as he turned his back to the light cast by the stained glass. "I have stolen your honor and your victory with your blood—"

"—Why?" The lion interrupted him rudely. He walked out of the steel forest, his eyes cold and his breath hot. In a trance, Luthor almost saw the bloodied beast of the year.

Then he called him, just as he had then.

"Leon, alas, Leon." Luthor smiled. "Does this need a reason? Everyone thinks they're different, and I'm no exception. ”

"Before I met you, I was a hero and people looked up to me. After I met you, I became your vassal. In just a few years, you've surpassed me across the board. People only know Leon El Johnson, but they don't know who gave his name. I am resentful of this, Leon, I did not get the credit I deserved. ”

Oh, Luther, what the hell are you doing? Your lies sound like you. It's just like the real thing.

Luther burst out laughing, laughing wildly, hovering through the hall.

- Maybe it's true. He thought coldly. Maybe that's what I really think.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Leon Al Johnson asked, the blade lowered.

"I'm telling the truth, my dear. Son. Luthor said boldly.

After he said this, he felt a sour feeling in his heart, he had never really said the title, he had thought it would be confided at some important moment

He didn't expect it to be today, he didn't expect it, it was in this way. Luthor waited for a moment, but instead of scolding him as he had imagined, Leon looked at him with a blank and strange look.

"You mean," he said softly in a voice that didn't look like his. "You think I took what you deserved?"

"Perhaps." Luthor nodded. "People always change, my jealousy has prompted me to do these things, I'm a villain, it's a shame that I haven't seen it until now."

"But you joined the Legion." Leon said in a very slight voice.

"Yes. I can't resist the temptation to make a difference, I need honor, even if it's stolen. But you just asked me to be the commander-in-chief, Leon, and I don't like that. I also want to go to the front line to fight, to kill the enemies of humanity with others. That's where my jealousy starts to deteriorate, and I start—"

Luthor took a deep breath, he needed the courage to continue.

"—do those things." He said calmly. "I was the one who killed Sergeant Tlynver Ratton, it was I who faked and changed the way he died."

"Why?" Leon Altheuson asked one last time.

"I don't want to see you standing gloriously on a high mountain looking down on me, Leon, you should be standing in the same place as us. You can't stand there, so I did these things, and I brought your legion to the shame it has today. Frankly, I'm happy. ”

There was a great chatter among the knights, cursing, shouts of disbelief, vows of revenge. Luthor wasn't surprised by any of this, but he was surprised that he still had supporters.

There were dozens of men trying to persuade others to calm down, and Sir Luther must have done so for the sake of it. Looking at their faces and listening to their voices, Luthor felt a pang of satisfaction in his heart.

At least what I've done is not vain, then, this sacrifice. It's worth it.

"Silent ——!" The lion roared.

His sword was no longer lower, and he stared into Luthor's eyes, staring in pain.

"Is everything you say true?" The lion asked.

"It's true."

"You swear?"

"I swear to Caliban."

"Nope." The lion raised his sword and pointed it at him. "Swear to your dead wife and daughter, swear to them that what you just said is not false in the slightest."

Luthor was silent for a moment before he spoke, and he even raised his left hand.

"I swear to my wife, to my daughter, that what I have just said is true and not false. I'm a liar, a villain, a criminal, a shady monster, and I don't deserve to stand with you. ”

The lion let out a rapid gasp.

Luthor fell to his knees in obedience, moving slowly, but never hesitating. Then, he lowered his neck.

"Go on, Leon." He whispered. "End this."

The knights, with their backs to him, raised their swords little by little. What's going on in those eyes? Nobody knows. In the corner of the hall, two giants who did not belong to Caliban and Terra looked at this scene and did not comment.

A third of a second later, with the roar of the male lion, the blade slipped and blood splattered.

——

"As of today, Calliban Luthor will no longer belong to the Dark Angel Legion or the Knights of the Caliban Order. All his duties will be relieved, and all his honors will be a thing of the past. ”

"We will erase his name, and we will spit on his man himself. He should have died, but in accordance with Imperial law, in the name of justice, he would return to Terra to stand trial and clear his name for what he had done to Sergeant Trinkor Raton, who had been part of the 439th Panzer Division. ”

With only one arm left, Luthor held the parchment scroll in his hand, looked at the lines and the lion's legal sign, and smiled slowly but relaxedly. His wound was still oozing blood, but his expression was not painful.

"You don't seem to be indignant at what happened to you, Sir Luthor." A voice came from behind him.

"I don't have a title anymore, my lord, I'm just a lowly criminal now, you don't have to call me that." Luthor said, turning his head and unsurprisingly saw the tall instructor.

"I didn't see a criminal, I only saw a hero who had the courage to stand up and take on everything." Carlil whispered.

"Who?" Luthor asked rhetorically.

"You." Carlil smiled. "You were good enough to fool most of the people in the room, but I could see so much more, Sir Luther, unfortunately, I couldn't speak."

Luthor silently stood up from his chair in his cell, his shackles crashing on the ground. Through the flickering iron fence, he stared at the pale giant, slowly bent down, and bowed.

"Thank you." Luthor said sullenly. "Thank you for not debunking."

"Shouldn't you be angry at my silence?"

"I'm stupid and just want to solve the problem this way, but not to that point."

Luther looked up, hissing air out of her throat, and laughed hard.

"The moment you arrived at Caliban with Tyra's orders, something could not be changed. Leon has to get this thing settled, and if I don't come forward, who knows how far things will go? ”

"He has never been able to control his emotions well outside of combat, and I have no doubt that he would kill someone among the knights and pronounce him a traitor because of the slightest suspicion."

"I can't let that happen. The owner of the Legion is Leon Eltheusson, but it's also my brainchild, and I only have two treasures, how can I let this cause them all to be stained at once? ”

Carlil sighed, "You are indeed a respectable man, Mr. Luther. But why are you so sure that there are no traitors within the First Legion? ”

"Why are you so sure I'm not a traitor?" Luther asked rhetorically. "You don't look like you're dealing with a despicable criminal, and you're even willing to listen to me at length."

Carlil was silent, and so was Luther. After a few seconds, they looked at each other and smiled.

"There are some things I shouldn't have said." Carlil spoke slowly and in a low voice. "But I think that as a victim, you deserve the right to know the truth."

"The truth?"

"As you have speculated, there are no traitors in the First Legion." Carlil said, his eyes quiet and deep, like black holes.

Luthor stared at them, as if glimpsing the death and rebirth of the stars. His fingers began to tremble again, this time more violently than before, even to the point of being irrepressible.

He began to wait, silently, anxiously, and resentfully.

"Who, then, is it about Sergeant Tlynver Ratton's death, and his humiliating death?" Carlil asked solemnly and began pacing outside the cell.

Luther's gaze followed his movements, and he suddenly felt a rush of panic.

Something - no, some kind of powerful force has attacked here. Luthor thought as one of his remaining hands wrapped his hand on his shoulder, trying to fend off the cold.

Outside the cell, Carlil turned his head slowly, his eyes lit up with a black and red glow.

"They can hide their tracks, they can completely withdraw from their state, but if they want to kill someone, their hands will definitely get blood." He said in a low voice, like a proclamation.

He raised his right hand, and Luther's eyes widened - he noticed that something was wriggling in the giant's shadow.

Darkness swept over Luther's sanity, but he felt no more cold or fear, only peace, and an attitude that he knew it was so.

"Sergeant Tlynver Ratton." Luther greeted the shadow. "Are you okay?"

"As far as a ghost goes, I'm fine." The long-dead sergeant grinned. "Hello, Grand Mentor Luther. I didn't think I'd see you, hey, I've heard about what you've done. You're so brave. ”

Luther's nose was sore, and he almost burst into tears. He personally threw away his honor, the work of most of his life.

He knew very well the consequences of doing this, and he didn't think about stopping when he did it, and after doing it, he didn't even regret it in his heart. However, at this moment, in the face of a compliment that was almost like a joke, it was difficult for him to maintain his demeanor.

"Oh, don't do that, Grand Teacher." The sergeant's ghost raised his hand and scratched his head. "I wasn't here to make you uncomfortable. Listen to me, okay? The bastard who killed me, I remember his name and his face. ”

Luthor took a deep breath, then exhaled it with a shudder. The low temperature turned it into a pale white mist, but Luthor's vision was unaffected. He looked intently at the sergeant's ghost and nodded.

"His name is Damon Pletanis." Tlynver Ratton said. "He pretends to be you, but he's not you. He's just like me, can you understand? ”

"He's as tall as me. He killed me, and he kept reporting to someone when he killed me. I didn't understand the language he spoke, but he talked a lot, and he spoke so much that he shot me. This son of a son of a man said a bunch of yes and no's, but I only remember one word. ”

"What word?" Luthor asked softly.

"Esoteric Buddhism." Sergeant Tlynver Ratton said hatefully.

The words fell, the ghosts dissipated, and the darkness receded.

Luthor muttered the word, his remaining right hand clenched sharply.

"The truth is out." Carlil said. "But the matter is still fraught with regret, and the soul of Sergeant Tlynver Ratton has wandered for many years in the Sea of the Dead, where time is different from the world as we know it. I didn't find him until just now."

Luther raised his eyes and glanced at the instructor. Of course he knew what the other party was talking about.

Apologize,

"Not necessarily." Luthor replied a little stiffly. "It doesn't have to be that way, Instructor Carlile. Even if you can summon his soul, this matter will not really be used as legal evidence to clear the First Legion. Imperial truth rejects these things. ”

"But I still feel guilty." Through the cell, Carlil stared at him. "So, I'd like to give you an invitation, Mr. Luther."

"What invitation?"

"You'll know when we get back to Terra." Carlil said.

He turned and walked into the darkness, and Luthor watched in silence as he left, his heart at peace.

He has nothing but hatred.

It's 2k more, and it's 8k tomorrow.

It stands to reason that I should write another 4k, but my fingers hurt so much ()

(End of chapter)