Warhammer 40K in a box

Chapter 481 Loyalty and Betrayal

Time seemed to freeze for half a second at this horrifying sight.

The training ground was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Only Loken's heavy, guttural breathing, like a broken bellows, echoed in the deathly silence.

Immediately following, a furious roar, brimming with millennia of pent-up resentment, endless pain, and unforgettable hatred, like a world-destroying thunderbolt suppressed for countless epochs, finally tore through the deathly silence of the training ground, causing the entire space to tremble and vibrate.

"Horus—!!!"

The roar was no longer a human voice, but more like the ultimate roar of an ancient ferocious beast that had witnessed blood feud and was completely enraged, wanting to tear the whole world and its enemy to pieces!

Gavial Loken—the former commander of the Shadowmoon Wolves and a member of the Council of Four Kings—has now completely transformed into a vengeful god!
Without the slightest hesitation, without any tactical assessment, without any verbal questioning.

The moment he recognized his enemy, his body, his soul, and the raging fire that had been building up for millennia had already made his sole judgment: destruction!

Boom—! The power backpack beneath his feet emitted a violent roar, like a giant beast awakening!
The heavy adamantite boots instantly dented and twisted the alloy ground beneath their feet!
The power sword at his waist—the legendary weapon that once fought for the Empire and the Primarch—was instantly drawn!
The blinding energy field hummed and activated instantly, emitting a shriek powerful enough to tear the soul apart, drawing a deadly, pale arc of light that condensed all power, all hatred, and all destructive will!

This sword strike, carrying the terrifying power to cleave a main battle tank in two, and the intent of ultimate judgment against traitors, destroyers, and the terminators of all good things, was unreserved and all-out, aimed at the figure in the center of the arena named Hathor Lupeka!

Just as Loken removed his helmet, revealing his true face and letting out that heart-wrenching roar, Hathor's molten gold pupils suddenly contracted!
That familiar face, etched deep in her memory from ten thousand years ago, shattered her thoughts like a thunderbolt!

“Gavial?!” she whispered, her voice filled with genuine shock, and a deeper, more intense pain surged into her heart in an instant!
She recognized him! She recognized the tenth company commander who had fought alongside her and remained loyal to her until death, and instantly understood the burning hatred in his eyes that had never faded and was enough to consume all reason!

However, the body's instinctive reaction is even faster!
Faced with the power sword hurtling towards him with destructive energy, Hathor didn't even take a single step back.

With just a slight turn of her wrist, the seemingly ordinary refined gold-forged training sword met her at an extremely precise angle!

A deafening and deafening roar, far more piercing and deafening than any of the previous collisions, exploded out!

The energy field rubbed violently against the refined gold, sparking blinding electric sparks and fragments of molten metal!
The violent shockwave shook the entire training ground!
Incredibly, the training sword did not break!

Hathor stood firmly on his feet, completely still, using only the subtle power transmitted through his wrists and arms to steadily block Loken's full-force attack that was capable of cutting through steel bars!
The immense force was skillfully guided and deflected, gushing out from both sides of her body, causing her thick, braided black hair to fly wildly.

There was no coldness in her eyes, only a heavy, almost compassionate, complex light—a deep understanding of millennia-old hatred, and a profound lament for the current state of madness of the once loyal and valiant general before her.

Loken's attack failed, and the madness in his eyes intensified.

He let out a beastly roar, and his power sword instantly transformed into a raging storm of silver light. Every strike was delivered with all his might, filled with a reckless killing intent, as he frantically attacked Hathor's vital points!

The sword wind howled fiercely, and the energy field cut through the air with a piercing shriek!

However, Hathor remained unusually calm amidst Loken's furious onslaught, even displaying a hint of helplessness.

Her movements were minimal yet incredibly efficient; every block, deflection, and counterattack was precise to the millimeter, as if she were trying to guide an out-of-control storm. She wasn't toying with him; rather, she was trying, time and again, with the least possible harm to stop him.

Loken delivered a powerful diagonal slash, and Hathor's sword tip touched the least stressed part of the spine of Loken's sword with a sigh-like gentleness. The heavy trajectory of the sword was instantly deflected, and Loken's massive body staggered as a result.

Loken spun around and slashed back, but Hathor seemed to have anticipated his painful trajectory. Her trained sword struck first, blocking the moment he was about to unleash his power, abruptly cutting off the destructive attack. The recoil made Loken's arm go numb, and a look of pity for his unwavering pain flashed in her eyes.

Loken roared and launched a thrust. Hathor shifted slightly to the side, his training sword grazing the blade of his power sword. He smoothly guided the sword with a fluid movement, showing a restraint that showed he couldn't bear to hurt the target.

Locken immediately lost his balance and fell forward, only to be gently tapped on the shoulder armor by Hathor with the side of his sword—the force was perfectly controlled, pushing him away rather than seriously injuring him.

Loken staggered back several meters as if pushed away by an invisible giant hand, crashing heavily into the alloy wall with a dull thud!

But Gavial Locken was indeed a veteran of the Legion during the Great Crusade.

Each time he was knocked back or sent flying, the red light in his eyes never dimmed; instead, it burned with an even more intense madness and an almost tragic stubbornness.

Like a wounded beast that never tires and never gives up, he bounces up with astonishing speed every time he falls, ignoring the groans of his power armor joints and the tearing sensation in his muscles, and roars as he pounces on Hathor again!
His attacks were completely haphazard, driven solely by pure power, speed, and deep-seated hatred, with each charge carrying the momentum of mutual destruction!
Hathor consistently used only his training sword.

The expression on her face gradually changed from initial shock and pain to a heavy, compassionate helplessness.

Despite Loken's increasingly ferocious and reckless attacks, her defense and counterattacks remained impeccable, yet always carried a restraint born of a reluctance to truly harm him.

Each clash shattered Loken's offensive, and each contact sent the powerful Space Marine captain flying away in a sorry state.

But Hathor's training sword never aimed at his vitals; each repulsion felt more like a futile call to a lost soul.

The training sword in her hands carried not killing intent, but a heavy sorrow, an attempt to awaken but a powerless grief.

The entire training ground was completely silent, save for the roar of the power armor, the clash of blades, Loken's beastly roar, and the heavy thuds of him slamming into the walls and the ground.

All the Ash Knights held their breath, watching in shock as this sudden, completely out-of-control conflict erupted with a suffocating disparity in power.

Chen Xi also frowned. He could clearly sense the overwhelming hatred in Loken that was almost burning away his reason, as well as Hathor's inhumanly precise yet profoundly compassionate absolute control.

This unilateral suppression, ignited by millennia-old grievances, continues.

Like a moth drawn to a flame, Loken knew he was doomed to defeat, yet he repeatedly charged toward the cold, silvery flame.

Hathor, with each precise block and deflection, silently expressed his sorrow and helplessness for this loyal veteran.

(End of this chapter)