Lorcan had read a lot of books, some from their own time, some from much earlier, from a point in time when humanity had not yet stepped out of the stars, and was even still in opposition.

He also tried to imagine how the ancient sages wrote magnificent works in an era of material scarcity, whose Chinese characters could still shock readers even tens of thousands of years later, and whose souls were immortalized in the words

For example, Shakespeare's plays, and some poems. Comedy, tragedy, cannibalism between fathers and sons, brothers at odds. The final result was nothing more than a sword fight, and in retrospect, it seems that fate had foretold something at that time, but he couldn't see it at the time.

Garvel Loken looked at Ezekel Abaddon and stared at him from afar.

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

There was no ash on their armor, and their boots were not stained with mud mixed with minced meat. They had no wounds, no mental trauma, not even the slightest waver. Here they stand, on the place where they once swore an oath to protect, on the burning wreckage of the human empire.

Even with pride.

Even, full of pride.

Lorcan saw Abaddon smiling.

He let go of his hand and threw down the Bearer he had strangled to death. He picked up his sword from the ground and ran to the nearest enemy.

In appearance, it's probably a creature between a demon and an Astarte, and it's hard to tell which side it's on, and the fleshy armor and crazy behavior patterns can't erase the fact that it was once an Astarte from this creature, but it still has powerful depraved traits.

It was fighting Harenchosen, and the Dog's company commander didn't let it take advantage of it. That's good, he creates space for Lorcan to sneak up.

The Shadow Moon Wolf rushed towards it and swung a swift sword from behind it, disintegrating the force field to wipe out the flesh and blood, tens of thousands of muscle fibers disappearing in an instant, and foul-smelling black blood burst out from the gap.

It roared in pain and turned around in a rage, its hands glowing with cold light, its two twisted blades stabbing at Lorcan, and the wardog seized the opportunity to decapitate it.

Sometimes, to win, you just need a slim chance.

"They're coming!" Lorcan yelled at Harlancosen. "We must be ready, Company Commander Harlan, we must be so!"

The war dog calmly withdrew his decapitating greatsword, his face half covered in blood that had been replaced by biomimetic parts: "How many of them are there?" ”

Loken turned his head sideways and smashed the peephole with his fist, blood and dirt fluttering on it. He looked at the blackened horizon and came to a conclusion that was quite plausible.

"At least four companies." Shadowmoon Blue Wolf said. "At least four, Company Commander Harun."

"Dalian?"

"Dalian."

War Dog nodded: "Looks like we can only retreat." ”

He said so, but his actions revealed a very different idea. Lorcan catches up with him, while still not forgetting to fire at another group of charging cultists with his blaster.

He was already a little annoyed—he didn't know how to describe it, but for him who was a little lacking in emotion these days, annoyance was probably the best word to express his emotions.

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

The sound of the bombs didn't drown out his voice, and the cultist's roar became piercing, and an Imperial Fist charged, smashing the bastards to pieces with an assault shield.

"I think." The company commander of the war dog turned his head and looked at Loken. "No, let's put it this way, Shadow Moon Blue Wolf—the best destination for a warrior should be to fight to the death, do you agree?"

Lorcan gave his answer in silence, and a sorrow rose from the bottom of his heart.

"We can retreat, Lorcan." Harronkosen said, almost sneering. "But we will be caught up by them on the way back and killed one by one. You should know better than I what the four sons of Horus of Dalian mean, don't you? ”

"They obviously came prepared, though I don't know why they would pick the position we were responsible for, but."

The war dog picked up his sword nonchalantly, closed his mouth, made a gesture in silence, and walked to the other side of the trench. Lorcan watched him depart, looking around at every loyalist in sight fighting to the death

That sorrow gradually turned to an extreme indignation.

Lorcan turned off the disintegration field, put his sword into its sheath, and pulled the magazine from the blaster and looked at the spare round. After doing this, he hung the gun back to the armor on his right leg and jumped on top of the trench.

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

Lorcan began to run.

It took him two and a half minutes to cover a distance of more than a kilometer, which was surprisingly slow for Astarte. But he needed time to think, and the treacherous conditions on the battlefield made it difficult to move.

He turned himself into a living moving target, and the group of people a kilometer away had definitely spotted him, but they didn't fire. Lorcan didn't know why, and he didn't want to know why, he just ran.

In the process, he left behind all the factors that could have caused him to have an emotional outburst, and finally, he stood in front of Azerkell Abaddon with complete calm.

"What are you here for, Gawel?" Abaddon asked him with his sword.

Their reunion is not dramatic, there is no foreshadowing, and it is not as fierce as imagined. It's just two people facing each other, and one of them asks in a casual tone, as if this was just another little conversation after a sparring session.

Although one of them was only flaming wreckage and ruins, the other was majestic and looked like an elite soldier who had already won a victory.

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

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

What an ironic contrast.

But there was nothing he could do, and now he could only hope for Harronkosen's keen observation, and he hoped that the company commander would soon find out about his departure and his whereabouts. Then, realize the time he bought for them.

It's a stupid solution, it's stupid, it's stupid, it's as stupid as Adarkel Abaddon.

Lorcan gripped his sword and stared at Abaddon.

"You want to fight?" Abaddon asked.

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

"Perhaps." Lorcan said, holding his sword. "But it's not about fighting, it's not just about fighting, Ezekell, what I want to do is kill you."

This is true, and from Lorcan's eyes, Abaddon can see the weight of this sentence. Those eyes were once full of enthusiasm, once full of the intimate tacit understanding between brothers, but now there is only a void of peace.

"Really? It's a pity. Abaddon said. I thought you were here to return to the commander's command. ”

Lorcan quietly took a breath of air, he needed the terrible smell of burnt air to soothe his emotions at the moment.

Ezekel Abaddon was trying to provoke him, and he didn't even need to think about it to come to a conclusion. Just as Abaddon knew what he had to say to get Gavel Lorcan out of control, they knew each other too well.

How can decades of brotherhood be erased so easily? Despite the intentions of both sides, it is unlikely that this will be done lightly.

Only with blood, blood is returned. And the blood they once shed for each other.

"Raise your sword." Locan growled. "Raise your sword."

Abaddon literally raised the sword in his hand, which once belonged to Horus Eichmander and was called Ghost Sorrow.

Little Horus once said that he threw his sword in front of Abaddon. Lorcan had known about this for a long time, but now, seeing Abaddon holding up the ghostly expression, Lorcan felt a tingling pain for some reason, and this pain forced him to attack first.

And so they began to fight.

The four descendants of the wolf god of Dalian stared at this scene in silence, it was not that no one wanted to interfere with this duel, but it had already been opened before they could open fire.

But isn't this duel absurd?

Garvel Loken, dressed in the white armor livery of the Shadow Moon Wolf Era, fights Azerkell Abaddon in the burning ruins of Terra, who wears the black armor livery of the Children of Horus

There is no foreshadowing, no tirade, just a few short conversations, which are full of heart-to-heart connections that can only be born under extreme tacit understanding.

Gavier Lorcan had come to die, to be sacrificed in order to gain a few more hours of meaningless lives for the doomed Puppet Emperor's lackeys.

Azerkell Abaddon knew about this, but instead of ordering them to arrest him or execute him, he risked his life and fought him to fulfill his last wish.

Many of the Children of Horus were disturbed, they didn't like the scene, even if not a single drop of blood had been shed from the duel so far, but it was already too cruel for them.

"Did you ever think of today?" Lorcan asked with a low growl.

The blade collided with Eichmandel's 'ghost of sorrow', and the arcs of the disintegrating force field began to twist around each other, bursting with new brilliance between the collision and friction of the blades, illuminating the faces of the two of them pale, like two ghosts that had long since died.

Abaddon didn't answer, but suddenly swung his sword and attacked.

Unlike most power swords, it is a sword that can be described as a two-handed giant sword. Once upon a time, Lorcan thought that only Eichmander could wield it freely. And now, he's found out he's wrong—Abaddon can too.

But Abaddon had never been revealed before.

This caused him problems.

Lorcan began to retreat, the steel boots sinking deep in the mud. Abaddon took advantage of the victory to pursue, he did not hold back, and his intention was very obvious - that is, to seize this opportunity and kill Lorcan completely.

If you want to win, you have to seize every opportunity that can make the result a 'victory', and even if it is insignificant, it must be held tightly in your hands.

Horus Lupecar's teachings are faithfully practiced by Azekel Abaddon at this moment.

He caught up with Lorcan, landed three slashes in a row and even blocked perfectly, without giving Lorcan a chance to fight back.

His attacks were so swift that the Devil's Sorrow spread lightning-fast colors and trails through the air, haunting the sides of the jet-black warframe.

The Sons of Horus, who had changed their livery along with the new armor of the Warlord, suddenly realized from the two high-speed moving opposing color blocks who would win.

Some people rejoice in this, because in this way, they don't have to watch this disturbing duel anymore. Others, however, shuddered and finally realized something.

Sadly, it was too late.

Too Late is the most frustrating word in the world.

Lorcan parried with his sword, cleverly predicting Abaddon's path and killing him one by one. For Astarte, all sword fights are inevitable. If the two are close at the same level with the sword, the battle will inevitably be stretched to a certain extent.

It only took a second for Lorcan to turn his game around, and his efforts brought the dead end to life again. The corners of Abaddon's mouth showed a vague smile, as if admiring.

He stepped back, his blade sinking deep into the dirt, slicing through the dried blood and shattered armor, and kicking up dust in less than half a second.

Lorcan's view wasn't blocked, but Devil's Sight was blocked. The huge sword suddenly disappeared in the earth, turning into an invisible sword.

At the same time, there was a heavy roar in Lorcan's ears, not like the sound of a sword blade about to fall, but like a cannonball about to land.

At this moment, there was nothing in his mind except a sentence, from Tariq Togarton.

"You've always been too focused on how you kill your opponents when you swing your sword, dear Ezekell." Togarton walked the way. "Lower your speed requirements to win and achieve some flexibility."

Looks like he didn't listen, Tariq.

The bright white streamer roared and shredded the air, reaching Lorcan's face door. Without any hesitation, the Shadow Moon Wolf ducked his head to dodge. The blade chased after him, like a hungry wolf who didn't know what to retreat from.

Lorcan's backhand blocked the sword again, and also caught the small gap that Abaddon had exposed due to his quick success, and he pounced on it, and began to gouge Abaddon's thick armor with the tip of his sword.

The first place to hit is naturally the abdomen, and then a small piece of the armpit is connected to the neck. Azerkell Abaddon is not wearing a helmet, just like Gavel Loken at the moment.

Both could naturally see each other's faces, and Lorcan noticed that Abaddon's expression had become a little gloomy.

He suddenly smiled. He didn't hide the smile, and Abaddon probably found out about it.

Seconds later, with a muffled thud, they parted from each other.

Abaddon was left with a small pitted pit on his forehead that had been smashed by the fist, and blood gushed out, streaking across his face and staining him with blood.

Lorcan appeared unharmed, but a closer look reveals a deep sword mark on his armor, located on his right shoulder.

He couldn't be completely unharmed after all, just like Abaddon, they had practiced against each other too many times, and this deep understanding transcended time and influenced the battle.

The spectators were puzzled and did not understand how Abaddon's advantage had been reversed in an instant, only the two of them knew in their hearts that the battle was destined to be a long time coming.

They began to pace slowly, moving skillfully, their eyes fixed on each other, their blades raised or lowered, the breeze blowing through them, bringing a message of destruction. The forces of chaos bark loudly, bringing dim light and terrifying torment beyond reason in the darkness.

The sound of the trenches was transmitted to their ears, spanning thousands of meters, but it was as clear as if they were there.

A look of disgust crossed Abaddon's face, and Lorcan caught it.

"Looks like you know exactly what you're working with." The Shadow Moon Wolf made a mocking remark. "You are well aware of its greedy nature, and its thirst for our flesh and soul, Abaddon, but you still insist on deceiving yourself."

"Traitor." Abaddon coldly spat out a word. "It's you who make a fool of yourself, Gawel. You have returned to the puppet emperor, but you can't see what a hypocritical liar he really is. Can't you feel the strangeness of Terra now? Need I remind you, great moon wolf? Look at what you look like now, and put on your old livery."

He sneered, drawing a circle on the ground with ghostly sorrow. Lorcan smiled back with a mocking smile: "Re-pitch? I never really left him, and my loyalty was unshakable from the beginning. ”

"What about Horus?!" Abaddon let out a low roar that sounded very similar to that of Lorcan not so long ago. "You turned your back on him!"

"He's not Horus." Lorcan said softly. "Horus Lupecal will not torture mortals to death, will not hang an entire ship of vengeful spirits, nor will he disappear at this moment. Where did he go, Abaddon? Do you know? ”

"He's winning for us." Abaddon replied in a low voice, his face a little hideous. "And you—Gavier, why are you still so calm?"

"Don't you really know why?" The Shadow Moon Wolf asked.

They stared at each other, and after half a second, the two began to charge face each other, their blades colliding again.

It was supposed to be a clarion call to announce the start of another melee fight, but a whistling bullet went straight at the unprepared Azerkell Abaddon - even Lorcan didn't know where it came from.

But it failed to hit the target, the time and place were favorable, it took all of them, and the sniper behind it must have pulled the trigger after careful calculation, but it still failed to hit the target.

It shattered just nine centimeters from Abaddon's skull, easily crushed to slag by the surging forces of chaos.

Abaddon's pupils shrank, and he swung his sword and retreated until he reached a safe distance. He wiped his face, took a deep breath, and looked gloomily at Lorcan.

"Despicable ——!" He cursed. "You are defiling our glory!"

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

"Do you really think you have any glory for me?"

Abaddon roared and said no more, and the sons of Horus, who had reacted to the gunshot, raised their guns and aimed them at Lorcan.

Abaddon continued to roar without looking back: "Put down the gun, let me come-"

Before he could finish his sentence, another bullet continued to whizz, interrupting what he was about to say with precision.

The burning, blood-stained sky was suddenly obscured by dark clouds, and a thick mist surged from behind the sons of Horus, and there were many shadows in it, and the Midnight Blade's attack was without 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 reputation in the galaxy, and was so powerful that it didn't need much explanation. The other has only a terrifying reputation, and even if the books have been popular for years, they can't hide the terrible fact that they are killers.

However, it was such that the two armies collided, and the result that Lorcan saw was a stalemate.

"You've really changed, Gavel Loken." Standing across from him, Abaddon said sincerely.

"Shut up, traitor." Lorcan said contemptuously, and lunged at him with his sword raised.

Amidst the roar of fog and gunfire, they began to fight again, this time, hundreds of times more fierce than every previous one.

Because there is no longer any reason or reason for them to treat each other in a hateful way, only hatred, only the will to kill each other. Everything else was left behind, even the original tactical purpose.

Lorcan no longer cared if Company Commander Harroncosen could escape with the rest of the trenches, just as Abaddon didn't care that the four Dalian he had brought with him were engaged in a bloody tug-of-war with the Nightblades.

They are very focused, very desperate to kill each other, and that's the priority, that's the only thing they care about right now.

Abaddon roared and swung his sword, cutting down Lorcan: "You have betrayed us! ”

Lorcan quickly rolled backwards, stood up in the mud, and stabbed a backhand with a sword in an equally fierce voice: "Really? Think of Eichmander and Tariq! Don't talk about yourself as if you're abandoned, Ezekel Abaddon! ”

The blades collided, the footsteps swirled, and the wolves and wolves stared at each other, and the resentment in their eyes was incomparable. The difference is only in the expressions of the two, one is as cold as ice, and the other is as manic as fire.

"You've bewitched them!"

Lorcan almost laughed: "Listen to yourself, it's ridiculous." You can't accept that all the members of the Council of Four Kings are leaving, and that's why you're starting to deceive yourself, can you? Don't be too ridiculous, traitor, maybe I'll give you a little more respect. ”

"I'm the only one still standing by his side!"

"It's just you're fucking stupid enough to see everything!" Lorcan roared suddenly. "Only after you have experienced the terrible things he has done, you really think that he is a father, and you really think that he is Horus Lupecar!"

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

"Tell the Emperor to go, traitor." Lorcan cursed. "Say to your original creator."

"We only have—"

Abaddon took a deep breath and found a possible weakness between Lorcan's dense attacks. He grabbed it and penetrated the ghost into it, successfully pushing back Locan, who had the upper hand for a short time.

"—a genetic father!"

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

Abaddon didn't answer, just roared and rushed forward again. He didn't dare to ask any more.

However, a decapitating greatsword struck off another battle with a whistling sound, and the war hound's company commander Harronkosen slashed into Abaddon's armor with a sword, knocking him away unabated.

Terminator A's Adamantite Frame saved his life, and if it weren't for that, he would have been completely cut open by the decapitating greatsword on the spot.

It was supposed to be a moment to chase after the victory, but Lorcan was momentarily stunned, he was so focused on the duel that he had forgotten everything else until the dogs reappeared

And at this moment, those responsibilities that he had forgotten burst out from the corners of his heart, crashed into his thoughts, and tore everything apart.

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

There will be no next time.

The Shadow Moon Wolf angrily raised his sword and strode towards Abaddon. The company commander of the war dog stopped him with one hand, and the force was amazing, and his left fist even collided with Lorcan's chest, making a terrifying dull sound.

In the next second, right across from them, the dirt in front of Ezekel Abaddon's seemingly empty body suddenly exploded, and several long, thick dark purple tentacles shattered the ground, revealing their appearance, as if to protect him.

"Is this what you are preparing for a duel, traitor?!" Lorcan snarled inquiring. "What a noble member of the Council of the Four Kings, the great Commander of the First Company, Ezekel Abaddon!"

Abaddon didn't answer, he couldn't answer anymore. His face was filled with disbelief and anger, his hands trembling in the mud, but the forces of chaos ignored his struggles.

Darkness descended from the sky, enveloping him with the son of the wolf god, and the Nightblades followed closely behind, tracking them away, and the fog cleared, and the darkness faded, leaving only one corpse on the ground, and a group of Midnight Blades that had been deliberately left behind, led by lightning claws on their hands and covered in blood.

"It's okay, there's still them." Harronkosen smirked, his greatsword pointed at the tentacle and the sleazy monsters that were pouring out of the ground. "Hold on to your sword, Shadow Moon Wolf, we have another battle to fight."

yes, there's another battle to be fought.

Lorcan did as he had said, clenching the blade of his sword.

There is always another battle to be fought.

This chapter is 7k, and there is a chapter to come later.

(End of chapter)