Chapter 1014 - 1013: The Death of the First Noise Marine

Ulrach Branthan looked toward the fish-mouth exit of the valley, a squad of Emperor's Children had suddenly appeared.

They wielded dueling blades, charging swiftly at the Noise Marines.

With their extensive dueling experience, they had already devised their tactics the moment they received the Palatine Blades' champion's orders.

Their dueling blades pierced the Noise Marines' chestplates, penetrating ceramite and muscle fiber bundles.

The sharp blades tore through flesh, severed ribs, and plunged into beating hearts.

They braced their forearms against the power armor, throwing their full weight forward.

They locked together and drove forward, crashing into the enemy.

The Noise Marines bore the impact of both combatants' weight, the air forced from their lungs.

As blood sprayed, the Palatine Blades twisted their blades, shredding the second hearts.

They shoved the corpses into the rear lines, and as the sonic blasts detonated the bodies, they drew their swords and struck again.

"Why are the traitors fighting among themselves?" asked Cadmus Tyro, confused.

"They have long lost all honor," Branthan said. "They will turn on each other over anything."

"But be wary, this could be a trap."

Captain Marius Vairosean of the 3rd Company of the Emperor's Children surveyed the battlefield from above. He walked to the edge of the cliff.

"Akurduana, you have betrayed our father, and betrayed his trust in you!" He cursed, his face contorting, then twisted into a grin.

"Traitor, I will kill you."

Before he had drawn power from Bequa Kynska's song, he had never imagined he could contend with Akurduana.

But now he had been transformed, the ease with which he had destroyed a powerful Dreadnought was proof of that.

The fire of jealousy gnawed at Vairosean's heart. He yearned to supplant Akurduana and become their father's most beloved son.

He aimed his instrument at Akurduana and unleashed a torrent of stirring, high-pitched notes.

Akurduana's spine blazed with golden light as he ascended to the second level of the Thelemic mindset.

The cursed symphony surged wildly, tearing at the golden radiance.

Akurduana did not slow, he crouched low and dashed forward, climbing at speed.

He stared at Vairosean's contorted face, no trace of the Emperor's Children's nobility remained, only grotesque ugliness.

The Palatine Aquila still adorned his chestplate, but it had been deliberately defiled, ritual scratches carved into it, turning it into a mark of blasphemy.

Even more repulsive were the trophies hanging from his armor, adhered limbs and thin layers of human skin.

The proud Emperor's Children had fallen.

Flames blazed in Akurduana's eyes. He followed the Black Emperor's teaching, reining in his fury with reason as the bridle.

Adrenaline surged through his body; his heart pumped powerfully.

His speed redoubled, leaving only a blurred afterimage in Vairosean's eyes.

Vairosean watched Akurduana close in, amid the deafening sonic bursts, his armor was scorched black, yet his speed did not diminish, in an instant, he had scaled the cliff.

His lungs heaved, a shockwave of air burst forth, his jaw stretched to its limit, his mouth gaping in a piercing scream.

As the shriek tore out, pleasure pushed him deeper into excess, beyond limits, beyond reason.

The scream merged with the ecstasy, propelling the sonic cannon's blast straight at Akurduana's mind.

Voices of pain, despair, pleading, and rage overlapped in a discordant chorus, rising from nowhere in Akurduana's mind, a crescendo of climax.

Hundreds of faces wailed of their tortures, some begging for release, others jeering in despair.

Akurduana paused. "I will grant you peace."

He pushed his Thelema mindstate to the third level and lunged at Vairosean.

Vairosean's eyes went wide, his swollen lungs ached dully.

Boom boom boom!

Blasts of black flame erupted; debris rained down like hail, striking the locked Astartes below.

Akurduana was suddenly before Vairosean. "You are too loud."

His twin blades spun, the blade in his right hand slashed at the sonic cannon.

With a slight twist of his wrist, the blade-edge severed the chord.

The "Weapon Master" had judged force and angle perfectly, the blade never touched any other part of the cannon.

The instrument fell from Vairosean's grasp, the music dropped, leaving him bereft.

Akurduana's left blade followed, slicing into Vairosean's mouth, cleaving the amplifier in two.

"Mmm..."

A deep envy flickered in Vairosean's eyes. They were both sons of the same father, why was the gap between them so vast?

Even with his blessings, he remained far beneath Akurduana.

Envy churned in his mind, the air from his lungs rushed up his throat, pooling in his mouth.

His trachea, chest, and lungs swelled like inflated balloons, then a muffled explosion echoed from within.

Mutated organs and twisted flesh burst apart, scattering in all directions.

Akurduana stepped back, his twin blades flicking to clear the filth.

He gave a cold glance at the ground, the first Noise Marine had exploded into scattered fragments.

Akurduana turned and ran in long strides, leaping among the Noise Marines.

The "Weapon Master's" twin blades spun, deadly edges slicing through one Noise Marine's throat after another.

Branthan and Cadmus exchanged glances. They had long heard that Akurduana was the finest swordsman of the Emperor's Children, a dueling champion among Astartes, alongside Howard Fender, Thierry Veira , Ezekyle Abaddon, Sigismund, and Khârn.

Seeing him slay the Noise Marine who had destroyed a Dreadnought with such ease, they finally grasped just how formidable the Emperor's Children's champion was.

They watched Akurduana approach warily. Even at full strength, they could not have defeated him, and now, armed only with combat knives and their armor damaged to varying degrees.

But the Iron Hands would never yield to traitors.

"Leave," Akurduana said.

"Traitor, if you have any trick, show it now." Branthan scanned his surroundings.

"I won't fall into your trap."

Akurduana sighed inwardly. He had wanted to escort the Iron Hands to safety, but they were far too wary.

A Palatine Blade, his face flushed with anger, stepped to his side.

"My lord, please allow me to slay them for you."

"No," Akurduana said to the Palatine Blades.

"I said, let them go."

He turned and walked away without another look.

The Palatine Blades exchanged cold stares with the Iron Hands, then followed the Flawless Blade away.

"Captain..." Cadmus looked at Akurduana's retreating back, his voice low.

"Head for the nearest extraction point," Branthan said.

"We must fall back to regroup and then take our revenge on the traitors."

....

If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.

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