Like a gust of wind, Yago Sevitaleone crashed into the conference room.

The gates forged by Nostramo's demonic adamantite gold were nothing to him, and those two doors didn't even have the effect of blocking them, like a curtain of fluctuating water, which allowed him to pass through.

The sight of defying any laws of physics did not surprise the other four in the room in any way—it wasn't the first time they'd been on the Nightfall, and it wasn't the first time they'd had a conversation in this 'conference room'.

In fact, something more transcendent than this has not happened to Yago Sevitarión

"It's a pleasure to meet you." Sevita said.

He lifted the muscles on either side of his cheeks as he spoke, his white fangs protruding his twisted lips, bright red gums looming in them, a smile that was not friendly in any way, but the other four in the room were accustomed to it.

After all, that's the best 'smile' that Yago Sevitaleone can give.

And you'd better not be too him in this regard.

The last official who insisted on him practicing smiling before meeting St. Giles is still working day and night in the personal staff of the Palm Sealer, and is said to have undergone three life-extension surgeries and thirteen resuscitations.

As a court attendant in charge of ceremonies, he should not have been granted access to the Sealbearer's staff, but he was personally recommended by Sevita.

It is said that Yago Sevitarion wrote a 10,000-word letter for this purpose, with earnest words and the reasons for recommending it as 'extreme bravery' and 'utter rigidity' – the kind of person who sounds like a palm bearer needs.

His staff doesn't need to think, they just need to work.

Sevita looked around, deliberately slowing down her speech and speaking slowly.

"But before we get started, I'd like to talk about one more thing."

Next, his movements were more than five times slower than the speed of speech he was using. It made him look like a programmed servant, or a demon who had taken away a human body, unfamiliar with how the fresh flesh of the living should be manipulated.

In fact, the latter is probably more in line with the truth.

Sevita stiffened her neck and drew his gaze in Scalaric's direction. During the whole process, his eyes were stuck in their sockets like jewels set in them, without the slightest turn.

The Lord of Crimson Claw bowed slightly as a sign of his 'respect'.

Sevita grinned.

"Looks like you knew what I was going to talk to you about, huh? Isn't it? Rick? He asked pleasantly. Did you make a plan on the way here? Have you ever tried to imagine what questions I'm going to ask you? ”

"No, my lord, I beg you not to call me Rick, I've been talking about this for a hundred and eighty-two years." The Maharaja replied with a blank face. "Also, I swear to the eternal night that I have not thought of any of the above."

"So, what were you thinking about as you goddamn unruly broken wooden head stood on the Batwing waiting to board?"

"War." Scaradry squeezed a word from between his teeth, followed by another phrase. "That's all."

"What kind of war?" Sevita asked.

"The War of Atonement."

"What? O eternal night, what sin have thou committed? ”

Sevita looked at him in amazement, like a blind man who had regained his light. Half a second later, he shook his head, sighed, and changed to a gentle smile, and even opened his arms at Scaladry as if he wanted to embrace the world.

"I beg you, Scaradryk. For the sake of our friendship over the years, please tell me, what crime do you think you have committed? Seriously, I'm curious about it. ”

"I killed an innocent person."

Scaladry said.

The veins on his forehead bulged at this moment, like a long blue-gray snake beating and twitching on the surface of his skin as white as a drowning man, making his whole face look terrifying.

"So—" He took a deep breath. "—I will find a successor upon my return to the Warband, step down from my position, and embark on an expedition of atonement in my own name."

Sevita remained smiling and hugging, looking at him motionlessly.

"Listen, Maharaja, my good brother. If you go on, I'm probably not too happy. I might even do something a little less sane, you know? ”

"But, for the sake of you elm-headed fool, I am willing to put aside for a moment the desire for violence in my nature."

"I'll turn to the wisdom I learned from Conrad Coetze's teachings—that is, what you don't have—to explain to you why I'm upset."

Sevita lowered her hands and smiled, the muscles on her face stiffened, and all mildness was gone, except for a brutal coldness.

"Do you listen?" He asked.

The Maharaja let out a low roar from his throat.

"Good." Sevita nodded. "First of all, an expedition of atonement involving only one person is no different from sending him to death. It doesn't matter if you're choosing an alien, a traitor, or a bunch of stupid demons with no ass. ”

"As long as you participate, you will die, and you will die worthlessly. Secondly, where the are you going to find a successor? ”

"Did this man grow out of the ground or did he fall from heaven? Is there anyone in the Crimson Claw who can take your place right now? Don't tell me about your second company commander or anyone else, they just don't think they're qualified. ”

With a smirk, Sevita walked over to Scaladryk, who was stiff and fists clenched, and slid the Maharaja's forehead with the sharp index finger of his right hand, and the blood flowed down his face, and soon his entire face was completely red.

Then, he actually leaned close to the Maharaja's ear and began to apologize softly.

"Forgive me, brother, I'm so sorry for that. But if my actions or words hurt your young, pure heart that has not yet fully grown, I will apologize for it twice. ”

"But your brothers are just not qualified, and none of them can match you. Finally, I've never heard of a warband leader leaving his warband behind and launching an atonement expedition. ”

He smiled and stretched out his hands, gently placed them on Scalalick's shoulders, and changed to a sincere face.

"I've been in the army for 10,000 years, and I've seen more strange things than your stone head knows, and I've never seen or heard a warband leader do anything like it."

"If you do this, you are betraying the oath you made when you became the warlord. You will betray your warband, your brothers, and all those who have shed blood for Crimson Claw. You know why? ”

He looked into Scararic's eyes, leaned in again, and almost touched the Maharaja's forehead with his own chin.

"Do you know why?" He muttered and repeated. "Answer quickly, Scaradraek."

The Scarlet Maharaja twitched his face and spat out a Nostramo phrase that meant shameful betrayal.

Sevita burst out laughing, and then began to applaud and praise him repeatedly.

"Yes! Because you left them behind! You leave them behind and go on to your own personal glory! ”

"Ah, what a great war leader. Presumably the Emperor will be disappointed in you, and not only that, but Conrad Cotz will be disappointed in you as well. And, of course, I'm — actually, I'm going to be very fucking disappointed in you, Scaradrick. ”

"If you dare to do that, I promise you, I will declare you a traitor and drive you from one side of the galaxy to the other. When I catch you, I'll slap you in the face with the Book of Night until all the veins in your ugly face explode and tears flow. ”

Sevita exhaled softly, took a few steps back, and returned to the front of the gate, her hands behind her back, staring at the Maharaja without a smile.

"Alright, I'm done." He said calmly. "Now it's time for you to make a point, talk about it, Scalalick. Let me hear it, I wonder if they're botched. ”

“.”

"Why is there silence? This is the moment when you should say something, brother. ”

I don't have anything more to say." Scaradry whispered. "But if I don't say anything, will he really be satisfied?"

"Who?" Sevita asked rhetorically and took a step to the left, as if to give way. A man in a thick black robe walked out of the darkness in front of them, his hands sticking out of his wide sleeves and covered with bandages, the blood already staining them red.

"Him?" Sevita asked again. "Is this the one who just finished a perfect sneak in front of you? Who is he? I beg you to tell me, Scaladryk, who is he? ”

"Instructor."

"I want a name."

Scaradryk took a deep breath and said, "Carlil Lohals. ”

Sevita smiled and bowed her head, "Thank you, Mr. Smart Head. ”

He turned his head to look at Carlil, bent over his knees, and whispered in his ear, "So, instructor." Would you be happy with it if Maharaja Scaladry did nothing? ”

Carlil looked up at him for a few moments before giving his answer.

"You're going a little too far, Yago." He said very calmly. "The good guys versus bad guys are outdated, and I don't think you should do it this way to fit me into the current legion. No, the command layer between the warbands. ”

"First, I don't have that will. Second, there was no sin in Maharaja Scaladryk, as I had already explained to him before I set out. ”

"My mental state is not stable, so everything I say and do in my crazy state should not be taken seriously. I'm going to try to restrain myself and try not to let anything like that happen again. ”

"Also, Maharaja, I apologize to you. It was my words that damaged your reputation, and I am very sorry for that, and I will do everything in my power to compensate for it. ”

Sevita lifted her left hand, covered her forehead, and sighed softly.

"Are you serious?" He straightened up helplessly. "The good guys and bad guys are outdated? How do I feel like you're a part of it yourself? ”

Carlil glanced at him, and suddenly raised his hand and slammed it on his back.

A chill pierced through the power armor and stabbed deep into Sevita's flesh, calming the pain of his resurrection from the dead, and calming the twitching muscle fibers.

Sevita coughed uncontrollably, a mouthful of sticky blood that escaped his control and gushed out, forming a crystal mist of blood in the air.

Sheikher Cold Soul was dumbfounded.

The corner of Kaul Sahora's eyes twitched, and he couldn't help but take a deep breath of cold air.

Scaradry raised his trembling right hand and rubbed his brow, his expression extremely indescribable.

Of the five battle leaders present, only the Hunter was completely calm. His cloudy white eyes were looking at Carlil without blinking, and the scriptures hanging from the power armor were windless, and the scarlet characters lit up for a moment, but then quickly extinguished.

"You can't have two bad guys in this drama at the same time." Carlil said slowly. "Now, I'm the bad guy too, Yago."

"What's really good for you to expose me?" Sevita asked sincerely. "I was about to make Scaladry realize his mistake, but now, how can I get this stubborn man to take the initiative to regress again?"

The Maharaja covered his face with his trembling right hand.

"It's not good, I just want to do it, like you insist on doing it this way when you have a better, more peaceful solution."

Sevita shook her head, skimming the topic at that.

"So—let's get down to business." He said with a sigh. "First of all, I'm sorry about the Night Spirit, Kaul. However, under the circumstances, I couldn't have done better. ”

"The result?" The Shadow Knight's warlord asked.

He showed no emotion or thoughts, as if the familiar names on the death list were not from his warband, and they were not his brothers. There was only a pure calm on his face, as if he had already known the answer.

Sevita smiled at him.

"I'm sure you've seen what kind of torture he's going through—so why do you ask, Kayor?"

"Because I'm afraid." The Shadow Knight replied firmly, flatly. "I'm worried that the future I see still has to wait."

"I assure you that it has come, just as I promised you a hundred and forty years ago. One day, the future you see will be real. Today is the 'one day', and today is the moment of Repars's retribution. ”

"Well, then, I don't have anything to say." Keul said. "The Night Soul has died a well-deserved death, and there are not many warships that have had such an honorable retirement as her. We'll seal her name and find another ship to serve as our flagship. ”

"What kind?" Sheikher Cold Soul interjected, seemingly concerned about the issue. "If you need it, brother, I can contact some people here, and I can at least make a list for you to choose."

"No need, Grand Master. We act in the name of claws, and it doesn't matter if there is a flagship or not. ”

"What's more, we should use our own hands to fight for a piece of honor that is enough to exchange for a powerful warship. If this ship is going to replace the Night Soul as our new flagship, this is the case. ”

Keur spoke calmly, as calm as if these things had nothing to do with him.

Shehr was silent for a moment, then nodded. He wouldn't say anything more, Caiur had already shown his determination, and he could see it clearly.

"Don't be so anxious, Kaul." Sevita shook her head at him. "I must remind you of one thing, the Soul of the Night and the Nightfall are also meritorious ships that have been in service for 10,000 years. For so many years, she has been sharing the glory and disgrace with the children of the night."

Kayor looked at him, or rather, glared at him. The Shadow Knight flung a short phrase out of his vocal cords like a servant.

"What do you mean?"

"Meaning, if you call, she will respond." Carlil replied in place of Sevita.

As the words fell, there was a sudden silence around him, and his voice began to echo through the conference room, and gradually spread out, forming a dull echo in the darkness.

Standing in the white incandescent light, Sevita turned her head to look at the vast darkness, with no sadness or joy on her face.

The Nightfall has undergone many changes over the years due to various needs, and despite the opposition, Sevita has persisted in getting it done. And that's where it goes.

It's not just a conference room, it's a cemetery. In the darkness, tens of thousands of blood-stained flags were fluttering.

Not all of these flags came from the Children of the Night, nor are they no longer used, but the people who once wielded them have been lost to history.

They may be military flags, ship flags, or flags of a small company, some still intact, others burned, torn, and unrecognizable

Sevita stared into the darkness, and in this moment, his gaze traveled across the cemetery, straight to one of the flags. Its first and last flag bearers were the same man, named Bellos von Sharp.

As long as you call, will you get a response?

Sevita smiled self-deprecatingly and looked at the other flags. Ancient relics from the Legion period were visible to him, all of them sitting quietly on the walls, making no noise in the darkness.

The living should not call out to the dead.

"I, I don't understand, instructor." Kaul stammered. "Reply, respond? How to respond? ”

"We'll talk about it later, Keur. As for now, Yago hasn't done his job yet. ”

"I don't have much more to say." Sevita said with a smirk. "At best, there are two more things. The first is to announce that Erebus is dead, and the second is to announce the return of the instructor. That's all. ”

"Let me make a few comments." Sheikher Cold Soul sternly raised a finger. "These are two very important things, my lord, Lord Yago Sevitalyon, and you are going to skip it like this?"

"Or else?" Sevita rolled her eyes at him and asked impatiently. "Raise the crowd to announce that Erebus has been ambushed?"

"Fuck it, if only we and some of our cousins knew about this miscellaneous death, and the general public had better not even hear his name, even once."

"And what about the return of the instructors?" Shehr asked, puzzled. "This should be. Let's get moving, right? ”

"Okay, then, how do you announce it?" Sevita stared at him and shrugged. "Even 10,000 years ago, the existence of instructors was not widely known. We didn't deliberately practice secrecy, but it is. ”

He stretched out his fingers and began to count his brother's fingers, as if he were treating a babbling toddler.

"Aside from the Emperor, the Sealbearer, the Forbidden Army, all of you Primordials and some of their guards, not many people really know him, do you understand?"

"And now, you want me to spread the news to everyone in the Ghoul and Extreme Regions, and tell them that an old antique from 10,000 years ago has returned? What do you guess their first reaction would be? ”

"They'll wonder who this old antique is." Carlil answered.

With a smile, he patted Sevita on the back again, only softer this time: "Then, they'll forget about it, because this old antique has no reputation at all." ”

Sevita turned her head and smiled at him, and said presumptuously but quietly, "Why don't you say this to all of you?" ”

"Yes." Carlil said. "But I'll tell them it's your advice."

"Forget it." Sevita turned her head to look at her brothers. "Anyway, I'm done, who has any objections?"

No one answered.

"Then let's adjourn for now. Clear the battlefield, rally troops, and send a call for help to nearby troops, preferably with an Ultramarine. We're all ready to come back to me later, and we're all going back to Nostramo. ”

As he said this, he walked out of the conference room with Carlil without looking back, and the demonized essence gold gate once again fluctuated like a curtain of water.

Sheikher Leng Soul walked over unconvinced, and pushed the door with both hands, but could not make it move a bit. He stared at the door with a frown, and knocked on his breastplate in silence.

At that moment, another man walked past him, and the gate fluctuated again, causing him to pass in a completely abnormal manner.

Half a second later, the hunter's voice came slowly from the communication channel, hoarse and low, but polite.

"I'll go first, guys."

"How did you do that?" Shehr roared towards the gate. "Come back! Explain it to me! ”

All he could get was a rustle coming from inside the communication channel.

(End of chapter)