The Crow Prince paused behind the shattered wall, arms folded in front of his breastplate, the genestealer's hide cloak flapping in the rising air of the Thunderhawk turbofan.
That speechless gaze penetrated into the drizzle.
Such is the rainy season in Valedo that it rarely stops raining.
This place is eerily quiet. It's hard to imagine that hundreds of thousands of lives were once fighting, dying, and rotting here.
Suddenly, he caught the squeak of boots on wet ground and the scrape of metal, sounds audible not because they were unusually loud but because, except for the sound of raindrops hitting leaves, everything was audible. Unusually quiet.
The air smelled of salt corrosion and algae.
To Sevatar, all sounds were as clear and distinct as the rustling of leaves on a forest path.
He tasted the wind.
Listening.
Waiting.
The first virtue of a master hunter is patience.
The first lesson the hunted learns is caution.
On the opposite side of the parallel runway, Thunderhawks are unloading the newly returned elites, and then they will carry the bodies of the fallen warriors back to orbit.
The operation was costly, with fifteen Soul Drinkers killed and two Astral Knights killed.
The Soul Drinkers lost important veterans, while the Astral Knights continued to lose blood in an anemic state, which was difficult for both to accept.
So, naturally, Soshyan was in a very bad mood.
"You have to learn to accept death."
Before the man behind him could stand still, Savita spoke first. He didn't even turn around to see who it was.
"I thought you wouldn't come."
Soshiyang's voice was cold. In his heart, he still resisted accepting Savita.
"If you can't even see this, then maybe I can't expect too much."
The rain grew heavier, slapping against Sevatar's armor and making his cloak feel heavy.
When Soshyan came here, Thor followed him.
The chapter leader of the Astral Knights looked over the Crow Prince's shoulders to the burning pile of corpses.
"You ended the fight here."
On the battlefield, you can occasionally see moving targets, like shadows or bloody ghosts, their armor stained with blood and dust.
Soshiyan was in a bad mood not only because of the appearance of Sevita, but also because in the process of destroying the altar, Farzad's team lost two warriors.
To outsiders, Soshyan said nothing about the loss.
But after that, he kept staring at the corpses of the two soldiers in silence, which aroused those dark memories in him.
Since the Apothecary was not brought along in this operation, their gene seeds had to be entrusted to the Soul Drinker's Apothecary to help harvest them, and now their bodies lie in the Thunderhawk's cabin.
Savita also noticed Soshyan's bad mood, and he snorted from his nose with a little contempt.
"So be it."
The once smooth parapets of the Ministry of Justice fortress are now pocked with pits, apparently having been strafed by heavy automatic fire.
The light shines out from the tubular supports and is constantly attacked by rain and moths. The heavy rain hits the concrete battlements like joint bones hitting the thick defensive wall. The rainwater flows down along the pitted curved surface of the weapons turret. , gathered into a waterfall, flooding the trenches and squares below.
The cold stone wall reminded Sevatar of Zoya and the home he had abandoned for duty.
This darkness, this strong sense of oppression, are all the same.
Even the electric trembling of the lamp oil was similar to that of a naked brazier, although there was no illusion of warmth and no smell of ashes.
Nearly four thousand Astra Militarum and more than three hundred Space Marines guarded the gates and walls of the fortress, but there was silence.
Outside the fortress, the passing patrols made a rhythmic thud, like a slow roar of thunder—a sound that was almost unnoticeable amid the pounding rain.
Although partially covered by rain and foam, the ground still showed scorch marks and scratches from vehicles, and the minarets and watchtowers were also riddled with holes from some type of light automatic gun-caliber weapon.
But there is a lack of reliable physical evidence on the battlefield - corpses.
When Soshyan arrived, he only saw a monster composed of a huge pile of corpses.
At this moment, the few mortals still performing tasks were wearing wax clothes, but Soshyan was not wearing a helmet, just cold and thick armor.
"But I'm still very curious about your reason. It shouldn't be a sense of justice, right?"
A small smile appeared on the Prince of Crows' face.
"Do you think so?"
"So I'm curious."
At this time, Judge Marcus and his followers were also approaching. After questioning the survivors on the battlefield, he was also shocked and curious about this powerful warrior who suddenly appeared on the battlefield and turned the tide of the war on his own. .
On the one hand, out of reverence, but also with some suspicion, he wanted to know more about this mysterious warrior, especially his unique helmet, which made him feel a little uneasy.
After all, bats are not a good omen in the Empire, as they are easily reminiscent of a rebellious legion of the past.
It is famous for being cruel and ruthless. Even before the rebellion, it already had a frightening reputation. Even after thousands of years, many of their cruel deeds are still spread in the empire.
Its number in the Imperial Expeditionary Corps is [8], and its name is Night Lord.
Of course, one cannot judge the composition of a warrior based on the shape of his helmet, and Marcus also believed that the other party was loyal. He was more curious.
"Excuse me, I am the Inquisitor Marcus Ognis Lucretius."
He spoke carefully, trying not to sound presumptuous.
"May I know this warrior's name?"
Then he looked at Sevita.
But the other party only left him a back.
"What? Doubt me?"
Hearing Sevita's voice mixed with a sneer, Marcus immediately explained:
"No, no, no, you misunderstood. I just...want to know your name. It would be a pity to miss such a great warrior."
"You are great if you kill a few demons, but your standard of greatness is too low, Judge."
"Well……"
Marcus's will collapsed before he could formulate his first argument.
Sevatar turned around.
The heavy gaze stared at Marcus for a moment, making him unable to move, and then let him go.
The inquisitor then visibly sagged.
"There is much work to be done here, Inquisitor, and your attention should not be on me."
"Work……?"
The Crow Prince's face turned towards the rain.
"There's a predator here, I know it, it's instinctive, the warp is restless, its attention is on other things."
The moment Sevatar turned around, except for Marcus, everyone else retracted their necks into their collars, including the Death Cult assassin Malthus, who also took two steps back, looked away, and remained silent.
That murderous intention set off a storm among his followers, and even the elders of the tribe never allowed him to do so, including other Space Marines.
He immediately came to the conclusion——
The person in front of me is a top killer.
He can also kill them all in a very short time.
But thankfully, the man's murderous intention quickly subsided, as silently as the ebbing tide, yet traceable.
"Its two failures have lost too much strength. Now I should take the initiative to attack, otherwise it will probably choose to run away."
Sevita's smile was fleeting, and no one present, including Soshyan, could see through or interpret its true meaning.
Then, his cold black eyes turned to the distant sky.
"We have to get serious later."
