Warhammer: In the Name of Nirvana

"Don't forget the glory of mankind!"

“Don’t forget the dream of the Great Crusade!”

"Forget not the Emperor, the greatest Lord of Mankind, who is watching you, who is watching us all, who is watching every act of fearless bravery and sacrifice: Come, Champions of the Emperor Let's go forward bravely..."

"Crack!"

"It's true that the more you mix, the more you go back!"

Old Erwin, who had retired as early as twelve years ago, had to semi-voluntarily use his remaining energy to return to his post. He was pacing in his brand-new command room, because on the holographic strategic sandbox next to him, The dim light irritated my eyes and made me feel dissatisfied.

But what really made him angry was the chattering voice on the radio. Before the old general couldn't bear it and smashed this exquisite loudspeaker machine, he had to endure more than twenty minutes of low-quality radio propaganda: From that obvious The spit from the rookie announcer's mouth caused more serious damage to him than the alien bullets flying outside.

At least that's what he believed, and he cursed contemptuously for it.

"The degeneration is so obvious: you can see it from the broadcast machine in front of me."

The veteran was pointed at the machine he had smashed.

"During the years when I served, no one dared to hand over the propaganda of a hive city to such a newcomer with obvious flaws: Let such a person be responsible for the propaganda work of the entire hive city, and big troubles will occur at critical moments. Not to mention military-related propaganda work.”

“No way: we’re short-staffed.”

In the small general's office, apart from Old Erwin, there was only one Dawnbreaker who was responsible for his security. The two people obviously knew each other, and there was no mutual connection between mortals and Asta like other legions. Special tension: Faced with the old man's complaints, this son of Morgan, who didn't even look a hundred years old, just absent-mindedly defended the rookies downstairs.

"You have to know that we are only on the satellite of Avalon now, and what we are standing on is an agricultural satellite: the entire Avalon galaxy has not experienced any level of war for a hundred years, and this vegetable field is under There was no need for military propaganda before. In such an emergency, it would be good to find a military announcer."

"Those who are really capable have long been brought to the front line and several mainstream recruiting worlds. Don't compare your previous experience in the border areas with the core of Avalon. The singing and dancing here is very peaceful. From then on No enemy dared to set foot in the capital on the Far Eastern border."

"But there is now."

Old Erwin snorted.

"And very cunning."

His unceremonious counterattack left Dawnbreaker in embarrassment, and he could only look away silently, with a look of shame on his face: After all, no matter how you explain it, the confidants on the Far East border can't help being harassed and attacked by alien troops. The hidden truth.

What's more serious is that almost two months have passed since the first attack of these aliens, but they have still been unable to completely defeat this stubborn enemy: even if they mobilized a large number of defensive forces, they still could not The situation has developed to this point, and even old guys like old Erwin, who have retired long ago, have to come back to stabilize the situation near Avalon.

"That's really our responsibility."

Dawnbreaker opened his mouth, but in the end he just spit out a sentence of self-blame.

"No one could have imagined that the Eldar army coming this time would be so difficult to deal with."

"No need to blame yourself."

The veteran walked to the window. He narrowed his gray-white eyes and moved the choker on his collar uncomfortably. The general's coat, which he had not worn for a long time, made this mortal legend feel his skin was a little itchy.

His voice was still firm. When he looked out the window, the war not far away only added to the excitement in his words.

"I have fought against the Eldar. In my eighty-year military career, I have fought against these nimble and cunning aliens thirteen times. Although I did not win every time, I was the one who stood here alive in the end. It’s not them, it’s with these experiences that I can be sure of what the situation is like.”

"listen to me……"

He took a deep breath.

"I'm pretty sure that the guy who calls himself Gochi is definitely not a mortal being: although the Imperial Truth tells us that there are no so-called gods in either the real universe or the subspace, I can be sure that there must be some in these clown troupes. Something mysterious and mysterious.”

"How can you be sure?"

"I fought with buffoons."

Erwin chuckled.

"Working with Captain Bayar against an orange-and-black troupe, which was confirmed to be related to some mass disappearances in the Salamas space: I swallowed the bitter pill of failure in this war. , but made sure the attackers left a third of the bodies behind, so I know what these so-called buffoons are capable of."

"They were strong, but not as strong as they are now."

"come over."

After saying that, Old Erwin quickly walked to the holographic projector, and then kept pointing at the projections of Avalon and several surrounding satellites, marking in detail every sudden attack by the Harlequin Troupe. location and route until a complex network was gradually mapped out.

"These places."

The veteran pointed at several blank spaces that he had dug out.

"I'm not sure what kind of method these elves used to achieve the sudden appearance and sudden disappearance you mentioned. Maybe it's some kind of special space ability: but if after the battle, you send troops to where I marked If you search these locations carefully, you should be able to get some results.”

"grateful."

Dawnbreaker nodded.

"But what we are really worried about is the combat effectiveness of the Harlequin Troupe in front of us."

Having said this, the son of Morgan glanced out the window uneasily. His superhuman hearing told him that the pace of war was approaching: the sound of light vehicles cutting through the air was intertwined with the war cry of Avalon soldiers, forming a A chilling piece of music.

"That's the really weird thing."

Dawnbreaker lowered his voice.

"You know, there is not only one place where these elves have harassed the Far Eastern frontier, and there is not only one troupe that has invested in the battlefield: but except for the battlefield in the Avalon galaxy, the aliens on other battlefields have been repulsed. , Although they achieved some results in the early stage, when the main military forces on the Far East border reacted, these fragile guys simply could not survive the encirclement and suppression by the mortal auxiliary army and countless battle brothers. "

"Especially the two harlequin troupes that launched an attack on the fortress-like storage system were completely wiped out by the elites. However, their offensive did allow us to discover that there are still some hidden dangers in these crucial places. It’s an inconspicuous loophole, and the original body has already designated the Ministry of Internal Affairs to intervene in this incident.”

"All victory in several battlefields, except here on Avalon itself: We have identified the two harlequin troupes that launched attacks on Avalon and its moons, named Midnight Sorrow and Tears of Laughter. The one who calls himself Higo The strange guy is the leader of these two troupes."

"So far, we have not been able to launch a fatal blow against this enemy force. Even if Captain Marshall personally takes charge, they are always able to escape from the encirclement and disappear mysteriously, and they have not caused any damage to our personnel: He just took the trouble to attack the fortress of Avalon from various angles, and at the same time often claimed peace during the battle..."

"Bang!"

Before he finished speaking, a bullet hitting the brick wall told the coming of war. The general and the Dawnbreaker drew their weapons at the same time, each guarding both sides of the window. The chaotic death fireworks lingered in their vision the next moment, This was followed by the sound of alien vehicles piercing the air, the sound of soldiers firing firearms, and the terrifying roar of giant raptors tearing at steel with their claws.

Erwin looked up.

The number of Harlequins is not large, which is in line with their terrifying strength and identity. Even though Old Erwin tried his best to search and his eyes underwent enhanced surgery by mortals, he could only capture less than ten alien elites. They were among thousands of aliens. A mortal soldier and dozens of Dawnbreaker warriors joined forces to dance, and their unimaginable agility left behind a storm of blurry shadows on the angry battlefield.

Just like their name, this group of terrifying alien warriors looks like a group of masked performers and comedians wearing variegated costumes, but these guys prefer to wear masks instead of pale smiles. The terrifying skeletons use a special-shaped floating vehicle as the core of their team. They constantly move back and forth between the towering water storage towers and the intricate water network in the agricultural world. Every attack is traceless, and every attack is traceless. There was no news from each retreat, as if it was really just a drama. There was no applause or cheers to greet them, only invisible blood in the air.

And when he looked closely, even the blood was fake: the mortal auxiliary soldier whose neck was scratched by the clowns fell down and struggled for a few seconds. Then he realized belatedly that the blood on his neck was actually The originally fatal scratch was just a shallow red mark that quickly disappeared like a smile, leaving behind the breached defense line and the sharp laughter in the air.

Finally, two or three figures got through the loopholes in the defense line, and a harsh explosion sounded behind them, together with the furious roar of the mortal officers: Another crucial point was breached, they The enemy took nothing away, but left the defenders with their shattered dignity.

This scene made Erwin frown.

But he soon became relieved, because not all the defenders were there in vain: the ones who could be dispatched around Avalon at this time were the most elite mortal warriors under Morgan's command, even if they came and went without a trace. It is impossible for the Harlequin Troupe to escape unscathed from their guns.

He witnessed a killing.

Erwin saw a soldier who remained calm despite the chaos and screams. He looked like he had served for at least forty years, or even longer. Perhaps he was a Catachan, and at least he had accepted Catachan. Cultural influence: Because the red sleeve scarf on his head and the Catachan combat knife tightly held in his palm are so conspicuous.

Standing at his post, his only remaining eye was focused on feeling the shadows flying across the battlefield. The hungry hunter was waiting for his prey: an actor who looked reckless and young, obviously. Without noticing this, it turned over lightly and passed the warrior's side. The new projector built into the costume left blurry and gorgeous bursts of light in the air, but the Catachan hunter did not deflect due to this. shift.

The hunter caught his prey, and while the clown was reacting, the curved blade pierced the alien's calf, and along with the inertia of the clown's body, a bloody cut was left in an instant: although this was not enough to kill the despicable alien, it was enough to make it lose its balance in mid-air for a moment, and the Catachan took advantage of the situation and pounced forward, using his body as a delaying chip, so that the shadowless death god stopped for a moment within the firepower range of friendly forces.

That was enough.

The hunter entrusted his life and death and victory to his comrades behind him, and his fighting brothers did not disappoint him: Elvin witnessed the agile actions of several soldiers. Although some people were not notified in advance, they quickly realized the abnormality here. At least sixteen guns were aimed at the clown at the same time, and the merciless bullets pierced the alien's brain, chest and neck, but apart from the flying blood, the Catachan who hugged him was not hurt at all.

Everything happened in the blink of an eye. Erwin moved his pupils, and the hunter and his prey fell to the ground in unison, rolling in the soil of the agricultural world: the guardian did not wait for his comrades to come forward to help. He clamped the bleeding body under him with his legs, pinched the alien's neck with one hand, and held the Catachan combat knife in his hand with the other hand.

A red light flashed, and blood flew.

The grinning head fell to the ground and rolled helplessly. Its alien companions in the sky scattered here, and no longer tried to interfere with this line of defense: only when he confirmed that the prey was completely dead, the hunter slowly stood up. Old Erwin carefully observed this guy. He was sure that this was not his old subordinate, but on the hunter's chest, two gold and jade medals made of roses and eagle wings were so conspicuous.

"Queen's Medal? Or two?"

The voice of the veteran was a little surprised for the first time.

"What kind of monster is that? Even among the mortal auxiliary forces of Holy Terra, there are not many people who can get two Terra Stars: when Sir Morgan established the Queen's Medal, it was to match the Empire's Terra Star."

"I don't know."

The Dawnbreaker shook his head honestly.

"It's probably the old sergeant who happened to return to the Avalon Military Academy for tutoring."

"Maybe..."

Old Elvin narrowed his eyes, but before he could fall into his memories, new gunshots interrupted his thoughts: Although the fight between the Queen's Guards and the Harlequins was swift and brutal, it lasted for a short time. This is the satellite of Avalon, and reinforcements will arrive in a blink of an eye.

At least two hundred Dawnbreaker warriors joined the battle from the flank. They were all veterans from Holy Terra. The muzzles and blades in their hands instantly reversed the situation: this is also the reason why Old Elvin was not in a hurry. He never worried that these Eldar could really become powerful.

Sprinting, jumping, spinning, fighting: the battle between the Astartes warriors and the Harlequins is difficult to capture with the naked eye of mortals. One can only hear the dying screams twisted in the vortex of gunfire, silver-white armor and colorful plaid coats interlaced in the grassland, and priceless fruit trees fell in front of the sharp blades, buried in the increasingly chaotic situation.

Morgan's proud warriors and the splendidly dressed and angry death gods fell one after another, and the number of martyrs of the Dawnbreakers would be higher. But not so many that it was unacceptable: but what was really surprising was that when more reinforcements arrived, they would find that those warriors who were theoretically dead would sit up again in confusion, and those Harlequins they killed would also disappear on the spot without knowing it.

Old Erwin stared at a Harlequin who was killed and fell to the ground. He dared to swear that he had not lost his mind for a moment, but before he knew it, the body still disappeared: as if someone deliberately erased his memory. This situation is unavoidable, but when more support troops continue to arrive on the battlefield, it is only unsettling.

Dozens of Dawnbreakers, thousands of mortal auxiliary troops, among whom there are the most elite boarding teams, only took a few minutes to knock the Harlequin Troupe's floating vehicle to the ground: this seemed to blow the horn of retreat in the alien harassment troops, and they retreated in a swarm, only to find that their retreat had been cut off.

The eagle's cry came from the clouds that overlooked the wilderness. The huge shadow covered the Harlequins' bodies and bit their footsteps with a flexible posture: there were thirty warriors riding giant raptors. They were wearing specially made armor, and the giant eagle companions with wings under their crotch were even bigger than an Emperor's Blade tank. .

"Is that a Shrike Knight?"

Old Elvin became interested.

"It's really interesting. They can finally be organized and put into battle?"

"It's impossible to put them into battle."

The Dawnbreaker shook his head.

"Giant raptors like these can only be used as live targets on the battlefield. After all, their flesh and blood bodies cannot withstand bullets. But if they are placed in the high-rise buildings in the rear, these people can play a different role: many crowded nests need this kind of air police force with strong deterrence but not too bloated."

"They are faster than mortals and more flexible than Astartes. They can be used as patrol forces and efficient support forces for security: there are already thousands of Shrike Knights like this in several major cities in Avalon. If they work together well, they can block the attack of Astartes warriors alone."

"I have no doubt about it, but..."

"Their casualties will be ugly."

"That's all."

The Dawnbreaker didn't care much: he was more concerned about another thing.

"However, since this group of clowns in front of us have already [suffered a lot of casualties]."

The son of Morgan meant something, and what he worried about soon came true: at the forefront of the clown troupe's escape, a vague halo stood there for no reason. No one knew when she appeared, but a daunting shadow actually blocked the pursuit of the Dawnbreakers.

"This guy looks completely different from the previous clowns."

Old Elvin was a little worried.

"In fact, it reminds me of something I've heard before."

"Can you tell me more?"

"Well, most of my knowledge of the Harlequin Troupe actually comes from my good friend Trazyn in the Dawnbreaker Corps. He has done in-depth research on these aliens and has explained to me the division of labor and status of these strange Eldar."

"And he especially emphasized that there is a kind of character in the Harlequin Troupe. Although he is usually elusive and rarely really put into the battlefield, if he appears, he will turn the situation of the entire war around: the guy in front of me gave me such a feeling."

"I'm afraid you guessed right."

The voice of the Dawnbreaker is low.

"That's [Xi Gaoqi]."

"Their leader."

"No."

"It's a... unicorn!"

"Unicorn?"

Before the Dawnbreaker could wonder, the unicorn that came out of the halo started to move: it crossed half of the battlefield in the blink of an eye, passing through hundreds of Dawnbreakers, with white light flashing in its hands, but not even a trace of blood, and behind the unicorn, dozens of Terra veterans who had fought for more than a hundred years were limp and fell to the ground powerlessly.

There was no groaning, no roaring, no dying struggle, but there was also no silence before death: these elite warriors fell to the ground as if they were asleep, and their figures jumped like unstable TV symbols.

"It's like this again!"

The Dawnbreaker gritted his teeth!

"It always uses such humiliating means to end the war between us!"

"Then it will..."

Before the voice fell, the unicorn continued to move towards their location like a phantom, as if it already knew that the fortress under Elvin's feet was the only noteworthy strategic target in the entire agricultural world: its figure sometimes appeared and sometimes disappeared, like a ghost, a ghost wandering in the sequence of the Avalon army.

Whether it was the Shrike Knights in the air or the Queen's Guards on the ground, everyone was roaring at this ghost. No one was timid because of the fall of the Dawnbreakers. Some were only more angry and courageous, but the raging fire could not burn the unicorn's figure. It kept shuttling and dodging, and kept dancing and jumping. More and more people fell at its feet, but the blood did not flow. Only a silence like sleeping lingered beside the shadow.

One breath.

The Shrike Knights fell to the ground.

Two breaths.

The remaining Dawnbreakers were pierced.

Three breaths.

Even the most stubborn mortal auxiliary soldiers fell to the ground, symbolizing that the supreme honor of Avalon was stained with mud, and ping-pong sounded at the feet of the unicorn. The terrible monster raised its head and looked at old Elvin. Suddenly, the old general saw a horrified figure behind the monster.

He seemed to see a god, something that should never exist: it had a long and pointed chin and nose, a distorted face, and gorgeous clothes, as if a three or four-meter-tall court clown was looking at him with that creepy smile.

It's coming.

Elvin even forgot to breathe. He didn't know what it was. He only knew that the unicorn had slowly walked to the fortress under his feet, easily walked into the blind spot of the defense system, casually pushed open the secret door that no one should know, and then took out a marker pen without panic.

Then...

[Stop! ]

The sound swept the whole audience.