The First Legion has no secrets.
Long live the Second Imperium.
Although Sith paused after each phrase, Azrael only needed a moment's thought to understand the true meaning behind Sith's words.
The first sentence—wasn't that proof that the Mortal before him knew the Legion had secrets? And since the opponent knew there were secrets, where did they come from? Who leaked them? How much did he know? Had he passed them on to outsiders?
Just thinking about this gave Azrael the urge to skin Sith alive.
Not to mention Sith's second sentence, which practically pointed out that the Dark Angels, Blood Angels, and Ultramarines—the three Legions—had actually established some 'Second Imperium' during Terra's most critical hour.
Although there were many objective factors at the time, such blatant 'treachery' was something that couldn't even be mentioned now, yet Sith had just said it outright.
To Azrael, Sith's very existence was already a threat to the Legion's continued survival.
Sure enough, the instant Sith finished speaking, Azrael, who was equally wary of him, launched a proactive attack.
The exquisite plasma pistol known as the 'Combustion of Penitence,' bolstered by ancient top-tier technology, fired one burst of blue ionic thermal flame after another at Sith.
With power far exceeding ordinary Bolter fire, Sith could tank it using the God-Emperor's Treasure Armor, but faced with continuous fire, he could only choose to retreat for now.
Because no one knew how long this battle would last, Sith had to use his Divine Power sparingly.
Furthermore, these plasma flames were merely for suppression; the true killing move was Azrael, who followed closely behind.
At this moment, he held the 'Sword of Secrets,' another exquisite relic bolstered by ancient technology, and swung it down with thunderous force upon the suppressed Sith.
Seeing the strike that held nothing back, Sith could only complain that these Dark Angels were truly a bunch of 'lunatics.'
Wasn't it just about the Second Imperium and having a scrap with their own gene-father?
What's so hard to talk about?
Speechless, Sith faced Azrael's downward swing but suddenly stopped dodging, instead standing rooted to the spot.
Seeing Sith not moving, although a flash of suspicion appeared in Azrael's eyes, he remained certain that this strike would inevitably land on Sith.
To avoid any accidents, Azrael's movements even became faster.
Azrael believed that at such speed, the Mortal before him couldn't possibly dodge.
And the fact...
Was indeed so!
Watching his 'Sword of Secrets' strike Sith's shoulder with precision and ruthlessness, a self-mocking thought that he had misjudged his opponent flashed in Azrael's eyes, followed by contempt for Sith.
But as an opponent who dared to draw a sword against him, Azrael did not mock him.
He subconsciously prepared to speak and encourage the Mortal's courage, but then his power sword, which should have instantly cleaved Sith in two, felt as if it had struck a solid rock!
No!
Not a solid rock, because even if it were, Azrael believed his treasure sword could easily cleave it.
In a state of shock he couldn't comprehend, Azrael's eyes widened as he looked at Sith's shoulder, only to see that the gilded silver armor personally blessed by the God-Emperor didn't even have a scratch.
Then, the Mortal who had'stupidly' stood still raised his longsword with a speed Azrael couldn't even see clearly.
Facing the sudden surge of gold and red before him, Sith's voice reached Azrael just before he was completely knocked unconscious:
"Sorry, when it comes to gear..."
"Mine is better than yours."
The blade shifted to the flat of the sword, and Azrael was abruptly knocked out.
Afterward, the Divine Power on Sith faded. Feeling that nearly a tenth of the God-Emperor's Divine Power had been consumed, he looked at the fallen Azrael with some helplessness.
Rubbing his somewhat aching shoulder from the impact, he couldn't help but complain:
"That was plenty of power."
"Before the God-Emperor returns, even if I stand still, I could only let you hit me ten times."
Sith was speechless. He wasn't sure if Azrael was not fully unconscious yet, but his visor, which should have gone completely dark, actually flickered once like a dying flash.
Are you praising me? Or belittling me?
Seeing that Azrael seemed unconvinced, Sith didn't care if the other could hear and seriously added another line:
"Of course, after the God-Emperor returns, it'll depend on your stamina."
This time Azrael made no further movement. Sith stood up, nursing his aching shoulder, and looked around with an annoyed gaze.
"That brat Bayer..."
He was about to shout a few curses when the door Bayer had been targeting opened of its own accord as Sith spoke.
Watching Bayer walk out from inside, the words at the tip of Sith's tongue were suddenly swallowed back down.
Then, with a bewildered look, he peered past Bayer into the room.
"Wait."
"This room has more than one door?"
"No, it's that these rooms are inherently interconnected. The Dark Angels made it like a maze."
As Sith voiced his confusion, Bayer spoke immediately, but he wasn't looking at Sith. Instead, he looked down at his own hands, constantly examining the object he held.
Sith looked over; it was a strange dagger without a hilt.
Then, before Sith could speak, Bayer took out another Necron Tesseract Vault.
After careful observation, Bayer suddenly combined the vault and the short dagger together.
An intense light suddenly flashed before them. The psychic energy within was so dense that even the armor on Sith's body emitted a faint divine glow to block it.
Then, the light vanished with a bang.
The vault and the short dagger separated. Sith watched blankly, while Bayer frowned and looked up at Sith helplessly:
"I need to find a place to research how to use this."
As expected, it wasn't going smoothly. Sith held his sword and couldn't help but lower his head and curse a few times.
He was about to lead Bayer away when a strange wave suddenly surged through the deep, dark corridor.
Seeing what looked like the darkness itself churning, Sith stopped abruptly.
Bayer also hurriedly stowed the items away and picked up his usual 'Oversized Scalpel' used for surgeries.
Seeing Bayer actually pick up a scalpel, Sith frowned even more, wondering if it was a cleaver cosplaying as a scalpel or a scalpel cosplaying as a cleaver.
After a brief internal complaint, that mass of churning darkness suddenly rushed back.
Sith only paused for an instant before dragging Bayer and flying backward rapidly.
A large section of the ceiling and masonry collapsed. Several Dark Angels fell with it, their bodies covered in wounds, blood streaming heavily from their helmets.
But they didn't catch Sith's eye. Sith just stood in a safe spot, his gaze shifting upward to see a massive, gaunt figure holding a hammer scepter, slowly descending.
It was no longer Abaddon coming to take a beating. Knowing Abaddon couldn't win against Sith, Vashtorr, the Warp demigod, had personally appeared in the corridor!
At the same time, Vashtorr's gaze not only fell upon the fragment in Sith's arms but also turned his glowing red eyes toward the ancient short dagger in Bayer's hand!