40k: Midnight Blade

Chapter 327 47. Bitter hatred

"Wonderful!" People on the high platform praised loudly.

Akudona lowered his head in a daze and saw his fingers twitching. The bone-removing saber was held in his hand, stained with blood.

In the past, it felt comfortable to hold it, but now it was frighteningly hot, burning his hand like lava. The feeling of wanting to hold the knife and slash completely disappeared, leaving only the pain.

He relaxed his muscles numbly, let his fingers loosen, and the saber fell, making continuous ripples in the pool of blood.

If he could, he really wanted to escape. He wanted to stay away from this nightmare until he woke up or completely fell into it.

But he can't do that.

He had to get things done.

He can't escape, he doesn't have this power.

So he bent down, picked up the knife, and walked to the other person. The latter was kneeling on the ground, with a deep cut in his abdomen from which blood and internal organs poured out. He was about to fall into the abyss of death, but there was no trace of attachment to life in his eyes. Only peace.

Acudona knew him, in fact, had known him for many years.

"Tacitus" Akudona read out his name, and slowly raised his boning saber, but never dropped it.

The man known as Tacitus looked up at him, his expression unmoved, as if he was not hurt at all. He calmly raised his chin at Akudona and motioned for him to come over.

Acudona was reluctant to do this at first. He understood the pain Tacitus was suffering, and he just wanted to end the matter as soon as possible, but he soon realized how selfish his idea was.

So he put down the knife and knelt half on the ground, ready to listen to Tacitus's voice. He also lowered his head, not wanting the latter to see his expression.

He understood what Tacitus had rejected, and therefore he could not help but suffer.

"Don't make that look," the dying man said seriously. "I also set foot here voluntarily, and Fabius Bayer convinced me just like he convinced you. Like you, I have the blood of my brothers on my hands."

He opened his mouth and took a deep breath of blood-smelling air. Akudona raised his head and saw his scarlet-stained teeth and his purple eyes that were gradually dimming.

"I understand." Akudona replied in a low voice.

"But something is wrong with him." Tacitus lowered his head and began to exhale slowly. "He wants Fulgrim to live, but why, Aku'dona? What's the reason? When he speaks, I can smell lies. He's lying to us."

"I'll find out why."

"No, no, you must—" Tacitus coughed, and blood flowed from his mouth in a torrent. "-Warn them, there are still people who don't realize this, warn them, brother."

His head was lowering lower and lower, and his voice began to become softer and softer, until it became a kind of breathy sound, and then it completely disappeared, and there was no more sound.

He did not close his eyes, nor could the exhaustion of death make him close them. He passed away with his head raised, his eyes always staring at someone on the high platform.

Without looking up, Acudona knew who he was looking at.

He closed his eyes, raised his left hand, stained his fingers with the bright red blood gushing from Tacitus' mouth, and smeared them on his face. The blood was still warm, as if Tacitus was still alive.

Then, he threw his former treasure out of his hands like trash.

Two Sons of Horus came from the side, holding shackles in their hands. They stood far away from Acudona with complicated expressions.

One of them bent down, picked up the boning saber, and placed it on the weapons rack aside. The other man hesitantly threw the shackles at Akudona's feet.

The servitors, who were unaware of what was happening in the arena, walked out of the reserved passage in the circular duel arena and carried away Tacitus' body. They move quickly and crisply, without any hesitation.

Akudona watched him go.

After a while, he returned to the cell with blood-stained hands.

He had moved to a different cell, on orders from Horus Luperkar himself. Now, he was together with his brothers again, and even though there were only five of them together, it was better than nothing.

"Tacitus," Acudona said to them.

One of them looked over and reluctantly curved his mouth upwards, making a smile: "What did our stubborn sergeant say this time?"

"He thought there was something wrong with Fabius Bayer."

"Of course he has a problem," said another. "Did you see the look on his face when he spoke? There was no trace of sadness on that bastard's face. He told every one of us that he was trying to keep Fulgrim alive."

"If he is really as good as he said, why did he betray? There is also this so-called 'healing ceremony'." His face twisted. "I'm going to kill him."

"We have no choice, Tarvitz," the first one to speak said, urging his brother to calm down. "Everyone knows that this whole thing is a problem from beginning to end, but we have no choice. Even if we refuse to take the initiative to fight, Horus will force us to do so. He may even threaten us with the life of the Phoenix ”

"He is already doing this. It has been twelve full days since Vespasian, and he has been watching every battle." The tenth company commander Sol Tavits replied gloomily to the words of the lord commander Vespasian. .

"He was sitting on a high platform watching us die, with such threats and malice in his voice that I couldn't believe how much we trusted him."

"I believe this is not the end, everyone." Second Commander Abdemon spoke slightly dully, joining the conversation.

He stayed in a corner of the room, standing straight, as if he was doing daily training. Unlike the others, he was not only wearing anklets, but also handcuffs.

In the past few days, he attacked all the Sons of Horus he saw. He should have been punished, but Horus's wolves were ordered by their master, so the only punishment Abdemon received was to wear another pair of shackles.

Horus even publicly praised him for his courage in the duel arena, and behaved as friendly and warm as usual.

In response, Abdemon sneered at him in front of Horus.

"This is certainly not the end, it's just the beginning. I looked out the porthole on the way back and the Vengeful Spirit was moving. Where do you think they are going?" Akudona said, changing the subject.

He didn't want to talk about anything at this moment, but he had to lead by example - just as Fulgrim had taught them, when danger comes, if those who are capable do not stand up, what is the difference between running away?

There are no cowards who run away among the Emperor's Children.

"I can't think of an answer." Vespasian said.

The Lord Commander frowned deeply, his expression was very bitter. He took the blame for the failure of this war on his own head. Although others persuaded him many times, Vespasian did not want to change his mind.

Akudona understood that this self-torturing stubborn idea would actually make Vespasian feel better.

Vespasian continued: "They captured our fleet. Even if they shot down most of the ships and left only the Pride of the Emperor and several other cruisers, it was still a huge fleet."

"Ship travels of this size and level will attract a lot of attention. Even if they are going to those worlds close to them to obtain supplies, I don't believe that no one will ask about this."

"What if they ask?" Sol Tarvitz asked back. "I believe they have plenty of ways to deal with those who ask questions. Look at the lower cabin. It should be full of crew members and servants. Where are they now?"

"You are making a dangerous accusation, brother." Abdemon laughed. "The tone you said reminded me of Nikaea. Do you remember how the official from the Ministry of Administration questioned the Thousand Sons?"

"Of course I remember." Tarvitz also showed a not-so-friendly smile. "He asked them where the servants who were selected to join the Thousand Sons every year went? As a result, Magnus threatened him to mind his own business. Arrogant bastard."

"So." Vespasian spoke softly. "Where did they take these people?"

They looked at each other, and no one raised any more guesses. Finally, it was the last person in the room who gave the answer. His voice came from the dull and thick steel, and the golden eagle wings on his right shoulder shone.

"It doesn't matter, warriors." The person who spoke said coldly. "In my humble opinion, your best choice is to rest, not discuss such blasphemous words. We are already in hell, but what's the harm?"

"The phoenix will eventually be reborn."

Akudona and his brothers bowed their heads deeply and expressed their respect to the elder who spoke. The guilt of murdering their brothers was temporarily relieved, and the words of the ancient sage Rayla brought them a moment of light

But only for a moment, because Fabius Bile came again.

"Akudona!" He shouted outside the cell. "Come out! Follow me!"

The chief swordsman slowly stood up and walked to the door of the cell. Sol Tarvitz whispered as he passed by: "Kill him."

I will. Akudona thought.

——

Fulgrim looked at the scene in front of him with a little confusion. He didn't know why, and what he saw was horrifying.

This should be an ocean, but there was no light in the sky, only darkness. The sea was very flat, there were no waves, only tiny ripples constantly washing him. The whole world seemed black, with occasional thunder in the heavy clouds, but no lightning.

He looked out, and in the dim moonlight, the ocean looked like a crumpled and flattened piece of aluminum foil, the water didn't look like water, and the ripples formed black shadows swimming under the water

Then, Fulgrim heard a voice, the voice of Ferrus Manus, with great hatred.

"Traitor."

There's one more chapter.