Warhammer 40k: Shattered Steel Soul

"Be careful, Konrad Curze." Vulkan stood on the edge of the field and shouted. Although he kept most of his equipment, he still took off his helmet and arm armor. "Please don't think that I will be humble." To you. Although I am a blacksmith, if I want to, I am even more of a warrior. "

Konrad Curze was noncommittal, taking off the crimson cloak that was useless in the battle from his shoulders, and temporarily handed it to the mechanical Perturabo beside him. Even before the fight started due to differences, Vulkan remained polite.

The land where his feet were located was covered by a thin layer of golden mist. The golden mist spread into a circle with a diameter of about forty meters, defining the scope of the battle.

Outside the circle, to one side of the Imperial Expeditionary Force, Ferrus Manus's silver arms were folded across his chest, his face expressionless. Fulgrim's eyes wandered between Vulkan, Curze, "Fath" and "Perturabo", pursed his lips, and inferred the truth behind all these unsolved mysteries.

The legionnaires of the Iron Hands and Salamanders stood in a disciplined manner in the outer circle. Their iron helmets covered with battle traces stood still in the hot air, silently and intently watching this extremely rare original body. duel.

Everyone knows that except for extreme circumstances, direct disputes between the Primarchs will rarely break out, and a game that takes the form of a battle is probably rare to encounter during the entire Great Crusade.

On the other layer of the circle, within the transparent barrier, the Dark Spirit Tribe led by Victor and the Savage Spirit Tribe led by Shanadol also focused their attention on the circular battlefield. Among them, the attention of the Savage Eldar is particularly focused. In a sense, the outcome of Konrad Curze's battle will determine the life or death of their ethnic branch.

"He's watching," Perturabo whispered, hanging Curze's cloak on his raised right forearm.

"I know." Coze said. After the mortal Faas finally raised his arm, patted the back of Vulkan's hammer-holding hand, and exited the fighting circle, he turned his face and nodded to Perturabo. "I've been preparing for this for years."

"I'm also looking forward to your answer," Perturabo patted Coze on the shoulder. "I know you have ideas in your heart, but you have never expressed them in front of us."

Curze nodded goodbye to Perturabo, and then walked towards the center of the field with Vulkan.

"This is our first battle in this world," Curze replied, observing Vulkan's red eyes. "I also hope that this is the last one... Even if fate will come true, I also hope that it will come within the reach of my hand."

Vulkan's heart was no longer inclined to fight. However, things have progressed to this point.

"Then, let's begin." The Fire Dragon Lord said.

Curze raised his hand and made a fist. Of course his nails could not cut through the miraculous scales of the Salamander Legion Primarch, but he had seen similar confrontations too many times. A picture flashed back in his conscious mind. He lowered his center of gravity and approached Vulcan diagonally. The midnight blue robe was like a deep phantom, swinging slightly behind him.

Vulkan hesitated no longer and attacked, raising his heavy hammer.

The firm power embedded in his wide-opening and closing movements was enough to make every blow deeply shake the scorched earth. Unfortunately, his movements were still a millimeter slower than the Fire Dragon Lord in Konrad Curze's impression, and Vulkan himself seemed unaware of this fact. In a sense, Coates feels bitter about this.

Curze stepped forward and nimbly avoided the arc of attack caused by Vulkan's first heavy attack, and then quickly slid past the next arc caused by the thundercloud anvil, constantly changing positions with Vulkan. Come to the edge of the golden area, close to where the empire side is.

"If you insist on being merciful, I will be given just a breathing space to make my case." Konrad Coates even took the time to speak, letting his voice carry clearly beyond the venue. The first person attracted to him was the mortal Faas, which Curze expected. "In justice, there is a basic assumption here..."

Vulkan said nothing, quickly adjusted his direction, and struck down hard with a high-raised hammer, trying to grab the edge of Koze's robe. A strong airflow followed, making the air tremble. On his face covered with small war scars, his eyebrows were slightly raised, proving that he was listening.

Curze rolled skillfully under Vulcan's attack. The soles of his rear feet were just touching the edge of the golden field. He just avoided the vicious blow. He then spun up and struck fiercely with his sharp nails. The ground swung a blow, cutting along Vulcan's bare hand holding the hammer.

Vulkan pulled out his hand hard and dodged the attack. At the same time, he quickly adjusted his posture and prepared for the next attack.

“Justice does not exist out of thin air,” Coates said, seizing this opportunity to breathe. “It is not a mechanical absolute idea; but at the same time, it cannot really and completely rely on the existing social structure, because it is a The beacon of guidance must hang beyond the reach of society's declining, over-sedated Bugsy..."

"Continue," growled Vulkan, who always appeared to be more intimidating than he was.

Curze licked his lips gently, jumped up as lightly as a sword cat, and let the weight fall where his feet were originally. His eyes swept through Vulkan's eyes: "A hypothetical social contract, if we want to discuss justice, this is what we need, and I will explain it all... In order to find where the goddess of justice is, I must confirm A way to track her down."

"Think about it, suppose there is such a barrier here -"

He smiled.

"A transparent barrier like an enchantment - allowing us to temporarily forget all the sacrifices we were forced to make in succumbing to the interests of the empire; assuming that behind this barrier, all interests, values, goals, and even eloquence and knowledge are completely wiped out. Except, forget them all; some are rich, some are poor, some are strong enough to be Space Marines, some are too weak to survive the first winter in the sewers - no, forget them."

"In such circumstances, we come together in ignorance of the important qualities that really influence our judgment; yet in such circumstances, in a primitive state of equality, as thinking beings, we Still able to discuss what we want..."

"How is that possible?" Vulkan swung his hammer again, trying to hit the place where Curze couldn't dodge.

His movements were swift enough for both Space Marines and Eldar, but they showed a flaw against Konrad Curze. Fortunately, each of his attacks carries overwhelming power, which is enough to transform the difference in speed into two parallel and equal fighting styles.

"In conditions of non-existence, there is no theory that can be discussed, Conrad!" Vulkan asked in his own way, giving Coates the direction to continue his narrative.

"No, listen to me, brothers, friends..." Konrad Curze glanced at the mortal Faas again.

He dared to say that all the Primarchs present recognized the identity of the other party, but were worried about whether they really wanted to expose the disguise of the Emperor of Mankind.

Curze stood firm and raised his hand to meet the hammer. Of course, this could not be to block Vulkan's attack head-on; the back of his arm brushed the edge of the hammer, causing the hammer to deviate from its trajectory at the cost of a small scratch. , letting it fall harmlessly past him.

"We just rise to an abstract classification, not some damn Archons, Imperial Warlords, or Kalidus Assassins sitting around a table; in such discussions, we are just fellow beings who don't know our own exact role, but simply to advance our presumed social contract for a more just world.”

One of Curze's quick swipes seemed to lightly touch Vulkan's arm, leaving a thin scratch on Vulcan's hand as he re-entered a defensive stance. Vulkan jerked back, charging up his strength for the next attack.

"A fictional world of justice," Vulcan said, "a wonderful world."

"A mirrored world that has actual constraints on the real world." Coates emphasized, also retreating, and the two slowly rotated in the field, like a pair of dolls hovering in a music box, except that the two The hands and the giant hammer were respectively watching the opponent's vital points.

"Continue." Vulkan heard himself say, but was surprised to find that he had absolutely no intention of saying a word on his own - he was still focused on Curze's imaginary world. There was something cold in his throat that was not annoying, and a force from the void attached to his neck, pushing him to speak.

Behind him, Vulkan felt the gaze of mortal Faas.

Curze rushed forward suddenly, crashing into Vulkan like a flash of blue light. He jumped high and aimed at Vulkan's throat. Vulkan raised his hammer to block it, and the handle of the hammer blocked Coze's hand. Coze took advantage of the situation to grab the handle of the hammer and volleyed behind Vulkan, climbing up. On the back of the Fire Dragon Lord, the nails grazed both sides of the mandible.

Vulkan's pupils shrank, knowing that if Coz really had a pair of lightning claws, it would be enough to kill half of his life.

"We have formulated a contract in such a world - forget the specific content of the contract for the time being, friends. We are discussing methods..." Curze stepped back, narrowly avoiding the violent swing of Vulkan's hammer. Attack, avoiding Vulkan's advantageous attack range, "Then, this contract comes to reality. How to make reality fall in love with this contract as well? So, first of all, back to reality, maybe some noble people think-"

He caught the gap in Vulkan's movements, lightly scratched his nails across the gap between Vulkan's breastplate and abdomen, and hooked upward at an angle that couldn't get better, as skillfully as he had done it thousands of times. fighting. This marks the second death, if this is an actual battle.

"——The idea that when a law is enacted, people prepare their own morals and think they should accept it. Well, I allow the existence of this idea, this contract based on consent..."

"But let's think of another possibility, a binding force independent of moral force. Mutual interest, I call it."

"You said before that there was no interest attribute in the environment when the contract was made." Vulcan acquiesced to the power and continued to use his mouthpiece. This would be his doubt, even if he would not ask it so directly and unforgivingly.

"With no targeted interests, only reciprocal interests that take everyone into consideration, how can justice exclude everyone? No, we cannot do that. And, precisely because the specific personality has been abstracted, we have been fighting in previous battles The existence of private individuals is eliminated, and at this time, anyone’s interests are also the interests of anyone else..."

"This will be a tacitly agreed term, and the social contract will be built on mutual benefit, and this is an important concept for a qualified social contract to be maintained. Therefore, given that the social contract is the foundation on which justice must rest, we may From such a contract, we can deduce the vague form of the law of justice..."

"A mutually beneficial social contract. A path to justice. That's why I do everything I do."

Vulkan grabbed Curze's moving wrist and swung it hard, successfully pushing him into the path of the hammer - Curze invested too much energy in the narrative. Vulkan did not withdraw his strength. According to previous observations, Curze was completely able to escape on his own.

But he didn't.

"I'm done," Curze said, standing with his arms spread wide.

The giant hammer suddenly stopped the moment before it came into contact with Curze's body, and the world fell into silence.

"This is the road you believe leads to justice, Conrad." Fass walked into the venue, his feet without shoes walking out of thin air on the golden light covering the scorched earth.

"Tell me," he said, his face calm and placid, his burlap hanging about his ankles, "how are you going to prove that, under your conditions, the actual regulations that result are just?"

"I don't prove it." Curze lowered his arms and faced the mortal Faas. Then he bowed deeply and spoke low and clear. "I can't prove it."

"I unfortunately believe that there are moral flaws and a lack of justice in almost all practical regulations; at the same time, any practical regulations can only come close to her, but not become her - I mean justice. But I do hope that our Realistically, please don’t listen to my pessimism, but go further, for all the great people who still have aspirations and ideals.”

Face held out his rough-skinned hand. "You have found a unique pair of experimental subjects, Konrad Curze. In the fiercest conflict between the two races, the most bizarre social contract is consolidated through mutually beneficial constraints."

"This is the most extreme challenge in the world, but you choose to use it to verify the most incredible path of justice."

His hand fell on the side of Coze's face, slightly adjusting the angle, and looking at the pale and calm face of the original body.

"Everything I did was not out of concern for my own interests or sympathy for the aliens - Vulkan is the one who still has sympathy for the Eldar to this day." Coze said, letting the other party hold him up. "I just saw a possibility in this that must be pursued."

"This is your path, then," the Emperor sighed.

Note 1: The views in the article are different from those of the author

Note 2: I will take leave tomorrow to do some translation.