The Emperor’s Angel of Death

"Soshjan, due to some unforeseen circumstances, Kayn and I have to leave for a while."

In the war room, hearing Sol's words, Soshjan was first stunned, then subconsciously asked:

"What's the matter?"

Sol didn't answer, just shook his head.

Soshjan looked at Kayn beside him, already knowing that they both belonged to a mysterious organization, which also included Sevatar.

As for who they served and why their target was in action, Soshjan remained completely ignorant. Although Kayn and Sol always claimed to be on Soshjan's side, they remained tight-lipped on this matter.

With a major battle imminent, losing two capable aides at once, Soshjan couldn't help but feel a bit regretful, sighing softly before saying:

"It's a pity I didn't kill Lucius."

Sol smiled slightly.

"There's no rush. Given Lucius's personality, he will definitely pursue you relentlessly after this incident, so there will be plenty of opportunities in the future."

"But he's much weaker than I expected."

"Well, I didn't anticipate you being able to kill him so easily either. It seems I underestimated your strength. It's precisely because of this that I can leave with peace of mind. Lucius is probably the strongest warrior Huron could find, so at least in the Maelstrom, nothing should threaten your life."

"When are you leaving?"

"Immediately. After saying goodbye to you, Kayn and I will leave by ship."

"I see—"

Soshjan pondered for a moment, then said:

"Instructor Sol, there's something I'd like to show you."

"Hmm?"

Under Sol's questioning gaze, Soshjan led the two out of the war room, through a complex of corridors, and finally arrived at a secret room. As the door opened, Sol saw a strong, perfectly sculpted body sitting on a cold sickbed, covered with a plastic sheet used for corpses, gently twisting his head, his neck making cracking sounds.

Hearing the footsteps at the door, the man turned around.

The moment Sol saw the other's face, his pupils shrank sharply.

"You—"

It was a handsome man with bronze skin, short black hair with slight curls, and dark eyes—clear markers of ancient Terra heritage. However, upon closer inspection, a faint golden ring could be seen around his pupils. His limbs were well-proportioned and strong, his arms slightly longer than normal. His chiseled face had thick eyebrows, a high, straight nose, and full lips, all exuding nobility and elegance, embodying the perfection once pursued by the Third Legion.

The man looked at Sol, grinned, and then spoke in a deep voice.

"Hi, Sol."

Sol narrowed his eyes slightly, while Kayn beside him frowned.

"You're Amnak, aren't you? Who is this person—"

"Amnak, you've taken the form of Akur Dulna. Are you trying to provoke me?"

Hearing Sol utter this name, Kayn appeared surprised.

"This is Akur Dulna? The former Chief Swordsman of the Third Legion?"

Soshjan was also surprised. Although he didn't know who Amnak had transformed into, the fact that Kayn was so astonished indicated that this Akur Dulna was no ordinary figure.

Kayn then gave him a brief introduction. Before the Primarch's return, due to a crisis with the gene-seed, the Third Legion's numbers had dwindled rapidly, until only two hundred remained before the discovery of Fulgrim on Chemos. Akur Dulna was the Second Captain of the Emperor's Children Legion at the time, the first Palatine Bladesman in the Third Legion, and the strongest swordsman among the two hundred remaining Emperor's Children members before Fulgrim's return, known as the 'Head of the Two Hundred Swordsmen,' 'First Palatine Bladesman,' and 'Fulgrim's Firstborn.'

As the Third Legion's chief swordsman, Akur Dulna was an extremely skilled duelist, even rumored to be one of the few talents in the Imperium whose martial skills could rival Sigismund. When stationed with the Iron Hands Legion, he defeated all the experts of the Iron Hands, including First Captain Santol, ultimately losing only to their Primarch.

However, this chief swordsman unfortunately died prematurely. During the Battle of Ganymede, Akur Dulna arrived at the enemy's control center command post in a drop pod, and after an unparalleled battle, he perished with the enemy in a reactor explosion, but also destroyed the enemy's crucial shield.

Thus, his highly anticipated duel with Sigismund ultimately became an eternal regret. New recruits like Kayn, who enlisted in the later stages of the Great Crusade, had only heard of him but never seen him.

"I see."

Soshjan nodded in understanding, but seeing Sol's agitation, there seemed to be more to it than that.

Seeming to sense his thoughts, Akur Dulna, or rather Amnak, then smiled:

"Akur Dulna was also the Emperor's Children's sword instructor. The subsequent Palatine Bladesmen were basically all his students, including Sol here, as well as Lavas Kario, and Lucius, among others."

With a 'ding,' Sol drew his sword with lightning speed, pointing it at Amnak.

Soshjan quickly interjected:

"Instructor Sol, don't be impulsive."

Kayn also reached out to try and hold Sol's arm.

"Forget it, he is just a fallen daemon, there's no need to bother with him."

Facing the chilling sword point, Amnak simply smiled and reached out, gently pinching the tip of the sword with his fingers, suddenly saying in a very nostalgic tone:

"Sol, your sword speed still hasn't improved."

Sol immediately said coldly:

"If you speak to me like that again, it will cut off your head."

Soshjan looked at Amnak, his tone becoming very serious, even stern.

"Explain yourself immediately, or don't blame me for being impolite."

Amnak sighed softly and shook his head, releasing the sword.

"Did you think I transformed into this form just because I was bored? Speaking of which, I actually quite admire this pure swordsman. His obsession with swordsmanship is a powerful force, even surpassing the realm of desire. This is completely different from Lucius's pursuit of power for the sake of showing off in front of others. As dazzling and pure as a gemstone, I had long planned to lure him into a transcendent state, turning him into a top-notch swordsman in Slaanesh's domain. Therefore, when he was still alive, I often delved into his dreams, but what I could do was very limited, just to understand his heart as much as possible, preparing for the subsequent corruption. However, before Slaanesh's plan could be launched, he died prematurely. I have always suspected it was a conspiracy by other factions."

After speaking, he looked at Sol.

"When he died, I tried to collect his soul, but in vain. At that time, our power was too weak in the material world, but I obtained something else—his perfect obsession and persistence with swordsmanship. Describing this concept may be too complex for you mortals, but Kayn might be able to understand. Our essence, in its origin, is just a wisp of thought, a brief moment of thought, just a part of the Great Master. Therefore, we cannot produce self-awareness, just like the person in the mirror cannot see themselves outside the mirror. But absorbing the spilled willpower of Akur Dulna loosened my essence, and I began to recognize myself. This is also why my swordsmanship can be stronger than the plague, and perhaps ultimately why I chose to betray the master."