At this moment aboard the Vengeful Spirit—
Although some time had passed since Warmaster Horus had been stabbed, the entire Sixteenth Legion remained in chaos.
It was the sort of chaos that left the Legion completely without order.
It could be said that once the Sixteenth Legion lost Horus, it was like a body deprived of its brain. No one knew what to do. No one even knew what the next step was supposed to be.
Worse still, the Four Kings Council, which should have stepped up at a moment like this, had likewise fallen into paralysis. They were no different from their wounded, unconscious primarch.
First Captain Abaddon, upon learning the Warmaster had been struck down, had locked himself away and taken out his fury on servitors with his fists.
Second Captain Tarik Torgaddon could do nothing except panic. All he did was hound the apothecaries over and over to wake Horus, without offering any useful help or suggestions of his own.
Fifth Captain Horus Aximand, the man called Little Horus, had sunk into deep self-reproach and done nothing at all.
And finally there was Tenth Captain Garviel Loken, the youngest and least senior of the Four Kings.
Though he had tried to solve the problem and had been the first to investigate the scene of the attack, his lack of seniority meant no one in the Legion paid him any heed.
Horus had fallen—and with him, the whole Legion had collapsed beside him.
The Four Kings Council made a spectacle of themselves in four different ways.
The silent one, the pressure-crazed one, the self-consuming one, the useless one—these four clowns together only made the Sixteenth Legion's leaderless state even worse.
And when a situation becomes that catastrophic, people tend to do irrational things.
For example...
Abaddon intended to try a treatment proposed by one of the local rune-priests. And as the captain with the highest authority aboard the Vengeful Spirit, his obstinacy was nearly impossible to stop.
Moreover, under Abaddon's lockdown, no one could approach the medical chamber now, let alone get close to Horus himself.
Such reckless conduct naturally provoked Torgaddon and Loken's opposition. The argument between them escalated to the point where it nearly turned into open conflict.
Fortunately, just as the Legion teetered on the edge of internal strife, a detachment from the Night Lords fleet brought them an important message—
Lion El'Jonson, primarch of the Dark Angels, was on the verge of arriving aboard the Vengeful Spirit.
In their utterly directionless state, the Four Kings briefly reached an uneasy truce. They decided to let Lion try to save Horus.
After all, this was another primarch.
Perhaps he might have a way.
After a long wait, a Gloriana-class battleship slowly approached the equally mighty Vengeful Spirit, accompanied by several Night Lords warships.
A joint visit by two Legions? And of all pairings, the Dark Angels and the Night Lords?
The Sons of Horus found the situation bizarre beyond words, but this was not the time to dwell on it. Saving the Warmaster came first.
Soon, each side dispatched a single landing craft toward the Vengeful Spirit.
The personnel composition was simple enough.
From the Remilia, Bruce brought five men with him. From the Invincible Reason, Lion personally led ten Inner Circle knights.
Sixteen warriors in total.
"Lord Lion!" Abaddon, who had come personally to receive them, saluted the moment the hatch opened.
Then he saw what stepped down from the ramp.
A miniature... primarch?
"..." Lion's boots touched the deck, but she made no move to respond to Abaddon. Instead, she silently turned to look at the other landing craft.
"Whew, so this is the Vengeful Spirit? Pretty impressive..." Bruce walked down the ramp, openly marveling.
"Huh?!"
So many people?!
Looking at the sea of Sons of Horus gathered at the landing bay, Bruce had never imagined their welcome would be so lavish. It almost made him feel embarrassed.
"Bruce, it's been a while," Lion called, waving to him.
"It hasn't been that long..." Bruce replied helplessly.
You called me every night for seven straight days. Do you know how I survived those seven days? As long as that phone was beside me, I didn't dare fall asleep. Only after I was sure you'd dozed off on the other end would I cautiously close my eyes.
It was torture.
Dating wasn't even this exhausting.
"..." Abaddon watched Lion ignore him completely and start talking to some no-name little Astartes from the Night Lords. Instantly, confusion filled his face.
This guy was the Night Lords' representative?
Who was he supposed to be?
He had assumed Sevatar had come.
And instead, it was this brat?
"Set the chatter aside for now. Business first," Bruce said quickly, seeing the state of the Sons of Horus around them starting to sour.
Even if Lion wanted to catch up, this was hardly the time. The patient's family was desperate.
"Mm. You're right." Lion nodded, then strode straight toward Abaddon, her hand moving to the Lion Sword on her back.
"?!" Bruce's heart nearly stopped. Seeing the clear killing intent in Lion's posture, he lunged forward and grabbed both her arms, stopping her from drawing the blade any farther.
"Why can't I just get rid of this future threat now?" Lion asked, baffled. "What's wrong with that?"
That was the issue?
"Because now isn't the time!" Bruce nearly tore his hair out.
Yes, he knew perfectly well Abaddon would become the future Warmaster of Chaos. But if she killed him now, how exactly were they supposed to talk to the Sons of Horus afterward? It would turn into civil war on the spot.
"I know you hate him, but let's not rush things," Bruce said quickly.
"Wouldn't it be better to handle this properly? Saber is so understanding—surely you know what Bruce-gege means, right?"
"When have I ever lied to you?"
Lion went silent for a moment. Then she slowly took her hand off the hilt of her sword and nodded.
"Fine. I'll listen to you."
"???" The Sons of Horus stared at the exchange in a mix of caution, bewilderment, and utter confusion.
The Dark Angels watching beside them weren't even reacting.
Wasn't their primarch acting... strange in every possible way?
"Ahem. Captain Abaddon," Bruce said, walking up to him and deciding to be direct.
"As you can see, this Dark Angels primarch does look a little different from the one in your memory. But I assure you, only her appearance has changed."
"And we have come here for one reason only: the safety of Warmaster Horus. I hope you'll make things convenient for us."
First came courtesy, then force.
So long as matters didn't spiral out of control, Bruce was willing to let Abaddon live a little longer.
But if the man failed to read the room...
Then he would simply have to die.
As for what to do afterward if Abaddon's death provoked a conflict? That was easy. As long as Horus was revived, every problem would solve itself.
"..." Abaddon's gaze moved back and forth between Bruce and Lion, his emotions tangled beyond measure.
One was a glib, unfamiliar Astartes he had never even heard of.
The other was a primarch who looked nothing like the one in his memory.
Let them save the Warmaster?
Could that possibly be reliable?
"May I ask something?" Torgaddon stepped forward, anxiety plain on his face. "How exactly do you intend to save our father?"
Compared to Abaddon's strained "rationality," Torgaddon could not afford to care anymore. No matter what methods they had, as long as they could wake Horus, he was willing to accept them.
And besides, whether it was the primarch of the First Legion or a man from the Eighth, they had to be more trustworthy than whatever rune-priest Abaddon had dug up.
"That question can only be answered once we've seen Warmaster Horus," Bruce replied with a nod.
"Please believe us."
"It was because we foresaw Horus's assassination that we came here at full speed."
"Foresaw?" Torgaddon blurted out.
"Yes. My primarch, Konrad Curze, possesses the gift of prophecy. She sent me here to save Warmaster Horus," Bruce said, pulling his primarch in to shoulder the credibility without a shred of guilt.
"At the same time, allow me to formally introduce myself. I am the acting commander of the Eighth Legion—Bruce Wayne."
"Yes. I can confirm everything he's said," Lion added.
And just like that, with the backing of one primarch and the presence of another at his side, any doubts the Sons of Horus had about Bruce's identity and ability vanished completely.
"Please, come with me, my lords!" Torgaddon said with utmost respect, stepping aside and sweeping out a welcoming gesture.
"..." Abaddon hesitated, then stepped aside as well.
No matter what...
They could at least let them try.
What if they really could save him?
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
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Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 115)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League ( 126 )
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter110)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter116)
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I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter144)
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Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 77
From Junkman to Wasteland 66
Weekly Refresh of Overpowered 31
I'm Grinding Proficiency Like 46
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Elf: My Starter Pokémon Is Inc 65
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From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass 80
The Way the Umamusume Look at 68
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 112
Naruto: Weaving the Future, Be 65
Zenless Zone Zero, but Kamen R 76
Multiverse Crossover: The Perf 66
My Cyberpsycho Girlfriend 65
Uma Musume: The Dark Trainer 95
Uma Musume: A Calamity Born fr 89
I, a Reincarnation-Loop Player 53
The Violent Girl Group Is Beat 61
Uma Musume: The Horse Girl Who 65
Uma Musume: From Beginner 61
Becoming a Horse Girl, I Will 37
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