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, bellows-like breathing, filled with killing intent, echoed in the deathly silence.
Then, a furious roar, filled with ten thousand years of pent-up bitterness, endless pain, and deep-seated hatred, like a world-destroying thunder suppressed for countless eons, finally tore through the silent curtain of the training ground, making the entire space hum and tremble:
"Horus—!!!"
That roar was no longer human; it was more like the ultimate roar of an ancient beast, enraged by a blood feud, intending to tear the entire world, along with its enemy, into pieces!
Gaviel Loken—the former Luna Wolves Tenth Company Captain, a member of the Council of Four—had completely transformed into a vengeful fiend!
There was no hesitation, no tactical assessment, no verbal questioning.
The moment he recognized his enemy, his body, his soul, and the monstrous rage accumulated over ten millennia had made the only verdict for him: destruction!
Boom—!
The Power Armor backpack on his feet roared violently, like a giant beast awakening!
His heavy adamantium combat boots instantly dented and warped the alloy floor beneath them!
The Power Sword at his waist—that legendary weapon once fought for the Empire and for the Primarch—was instantly unsheathed!
A dazzling energy field hummed as it activated, emitting a soul-piercing shriek, drawing a deadly, pale arc of light that condensed all his strength, all his hatred, and all his will to destroy!
This single sword strike, carrying the terrifying might to cleave a main battle tank in half, and the ultimate judgment against traitors, Destroyers, and the enders of all beautiful things, was unleashed without reservation, with all his might, towards the figure named Hathor Lupeca in the center of the arena!
The instant Loken removed his helmet, revealing his true face, and let out that heart-rending roar, Hathor's molten-gold eyes suddenly constricted!
That familiar face, etched deep in her memory from ten thousand years ago, struck her thoughts like a thunderbolt!
"Gavil?!" she whispered in disbelief, her voice filled with genuine shock, and a deeper, more intense pain instantly surged into her heart!
She recognized him! She recognized this Tenth Company Captain who had once fought alongside her through life and death, loyal unto death, and instantly understood the burning hatred in his eyes, unextinguished for ten thousand years, enough to incinerate reason!
However, her body's instinctive reaction was faster!
Facing the Power Sword howling with destructive energy, Hathor didn't even retreat half a step.
She merely flicked her wrist, and the seemingly ordinary adamantium-reinforced training sword met it at an extremely precise angle!
"Clang—!!!" A massive clang, far more piercing and heavier than all previous collisions, erupted!
The energy field and adamantium rubbed violently, sparking dazzling electrical flashes and molten metal fragments!
The furious shockwave made the entire training ground tremble!
Incredibly, the training sword did not break!
Hathor stood rooted, unmoving, and with only the subtle power transmitted through her wrist and arm, she steadily parried Loken's full-power strike, which was strong enough to cut through steel bars!
The immense force was skillfully guided and deflected, dissipating from both sides of her body, making her thick, braided black hair fly.
There was no coldness in her eyes, only a heavy, almost compassionate, complex light—a deep understanding of ten thousand years of hatred, and a profound lament for the now-frenzied state of this once loyal and fierce warrior.
Loken's attack failed, and the madness in his eyes intensified.
He roared like a beast, his Power Sword instantly transforming into a furious storm of silver light, each strike unleashed with full force, carrying a reckless killing intent, madly attacking Hathor's vital points!
The sword wind howled piercingly, and the energy field cut through the air with a shrill shriek!
However, Hathor's figure, amidst Loken's furious assault, appeared remarkably calm, even with a hint of helplessness.
Her movements were minimal, yet astonishingly efficient; every parry, deflection, and counterattack was precise to the extreme, as if she were trying to guide an out-of-control storm.
She was not toying with him; rather, she seemed to be reluctantly, repeatedly trying to stop him with the least amount of harm.
Loken delivered a powerful diagonal slash, and Hathor's sword tip, with a sigh-like gentleness, lightly touched the least stressed part of his sword spine, instantly deflecting the heavy Power Sword's trajectory, causing Loken's massive body to stumble.
Loken spun around for a return slash, but Hathor seemed to have already anticipated his pain-driven trajectory; her training sword moved faster, preemptively blocking the point of his rotational force, abruptly cutting off this destructive assault, the Recoil force (counter-shock force) making Loken's arm numb, while her eyes showed pity for this persistent pain.
Loken roared and lunged with a thrust, Hathor shifted slightly to the side, her training sword grazing the Power Sword's blade, then guiding and deflecting it with fluid motion, showing a restraint that was unwilling to inflict harm.
Loken immediately lost his balance and lunged forward, only to be gently tapped on the shoulder guard by the side of Hathor's sword—the force perfectly controlled, merely pushing him away rather than severely injuring him.
Loken stumbled back several meters as if pushed by an invisible giant hand, crashing heavily against the alloy wall with a dull thud!
But Gaviel Loken was indeed a veteran of the Great Crusade Era.
Each time he was repelled or sent flying, the red glow in his eyes never dimmed, only intensifying with more fervent madness and an almost tragic stubbornness.
He was like a wounded beast, never tiring, never giving up; each time he fell, he sprang up with astonishing speed, ignoring the groaning of his Power Armor joints and the tearing sensation in his muscles, roaring again and lunging at Hathor!
His attacks were without pattern, driven only by pure strength, speed, and deep-seated hatred; each charge carried the momentum of a mutual destruction!
Hathor consistently responded only with that training sword.
The expression on her face gradually changed from initial shock and pain to a heavy, compassionate helplessness.
Facing Loken's increasingly fierce and reckless charges, her defense and counterattacks remained flawless, yet always with a restraint that showed an unwillingness to truly harm him.
Each clash caused Loken's offensive to crumble, and each contact sent this powerful Space Marine Captain flying back in disarray.
But the training sword in Hathor's hand never aimed at his vital points; each repulsion was more like a futile call to a lost soul.
The training sword in her hand carried not killing intent, but a heavy, sorrowful attempt to awaken him, yet powerless to do so.
The entire training ground was silent, with only the roar of Power Armor, the explosive clang of colliding blades, Loken's beast-like roars, and the heavy thuds of him hitting walls and the floor echoing repeatedly.
All the Ash Knights held their breath, watching in shock this sudden, completely out-of-control, and overwhelmingly disparate conflict.
Alex also frowned deeply; he could clearly sense the monstrous hatred on Loken that was almost burning away his reason, and Hathor's inhumanly precise, yet profoundly compassionate, absolute control.
This one-sided suppression, ignited by ten thousand years of resentment, continued.
Loken was like a moth drawn to a flame, knowing he would fail, yet repeatedly charging into that cold, silver flame.
And Hathor, with each precise parry and deflection, silently expressed her sorrow and helplessness for this loyal veteran.
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