She was nearly naked, legs curled up, trying to hold on to the last bit of fabric.
Sabourin stared silently, wondering if he would feel a thrill of pleasure - the very throb that corrodes man's dignity and turns him into a beast.
But there was nothing, not even mercy.
His gaze made her grope in panic in the dilapidated and dirty environment, and she found the torn clothes in front of her. She was more afraid of the person who saved him than the person who harmed him. She was nailed by his unblinking gaze. Dead on a discarded bed, frozen in place like prey in an eagle's eye.
Sabourin sighed, unable to understand why these people did this.
Then he turned and left.
Sabourin abandoned the dead man, and with him the girl.
He had no intention of sending her home or keeping her safe, because he had already heard the messy footsteps and slight shouts, they were calling a girl's name.
He gave the boy two minutes and then started to pursue him. He knew that the other boy was completely distraught and would instinctively run towards what he thought was the safest place - the cult's base camp.
Sabourin plunged into the darkness, dodging on the walls to avoid the puddles of garbage in the alleys.
In some places, he darts along brick walls, almost ignoring the laws of physics, giving his prey a moment to prolong the chase, but not long enough for him to escape.
He was destined to have nowhere to escape.
No one will care, and no one will remember, that a life withered by the torture of life and invigorated by the stimulation of accidental cruelty is about to end.
The young man stumbled through the stinking mounds and over the complicated neighborhoods, running towards his inner sanctuary.
He ran for about ten minutes, and the lights of the street appeared in front of him. A hundred meters ahead was an abandoned warehouse, which is also the secret base camp of the Eternal Redemption Sect.
The sect has regulations that prohibit trespassing into the headquarters. Being caught will result in death, but the threat posed by the stalker behind him outweighs everything else.
"Help~help——"
He rolled and crawled towards the street as if it were the safest refuge in the universe.
The young man's heart was beating wildly, his breath mixed with phlegm and vomit was rolling in his throat, his legs were as rubbery as he could not control them, even though his heart and brain were screaming for his body to move, he still couldn't move. Gradually slowed down.
He had experienced fear from others, and their fear made him laugh as he hunted with his companions, chasing fellow hunters or meat that could easily be cut down and looted.
But he didn't like it at all if it happened to him.
Against the dim light, the silhouette of the building in front looked very tall. The young man was panting and running hard, but fate cruelly made the final journey to safety extremely long.
It will be safe soon——
He glanced over his shoulder, and when there was no trace of his pursuer, he smiled boldly.
"Shit! Go eat shit!"
He gestured his middle finger into the darkness, realizing at the same time that he might have encountered an Astartes. If he reported this information to his superiors, he would be spared punishment and even be promoted.
While dreaming sweet dreams, the young man took a step forward. He was only a few steps away from salvation.
Dagger-like lemon-colored beams of light pierced the darkness of the alley, casting long reflections behind each piece of garbage, and he was about to enter the light.
"oops!"
Suddenly, he fell in the final sprint, but his fingertips were already out of the alley, bathed in light.
The young man gasped in relief.
He was saved——
But he didn't expect that the fear in the darkness would find him when he reached the pinnacle of hope.
A steel-hard hand grasped his ankle and pulled him back into the darkness before he could open his mouth.
Only a faint scream escaped the darkness.
But no one cares about such sounds, because they are so common in refugee camps, and everyone only cares about their own lives.
"Hey, your legs and feet are pretty flexible."
Sabourin smiled and shook his wrist, and the boy dangled in his hand.
The Space Marine dragged the two of them to the crumbling roof of a house with only one hand. The young man was frightened out of his wits. At first, he kept begging like a weak person when facing a strong person. However, after being rejected, the instinct of the beast continued. It suppressed his stagnant consciousness and forced him to fight.
The young man's movements had no skills, but were full of strength and bravery. He kept hitting Sabourin's helmet and chest with his fists.
"Die! Monster! Die!!!!"
However, after all, this is just a small thing that shakes the tree.
Sabourin threw the young man to the top of the building, and he felt his ankle crack even before he was bounced off the solid rock.
The young man slid across the rough ground, his knees, hands, and face being rubbed into a mess.
Then, all courage and blood gone, he huddled into a ball and began to cry, barely daring to raise his eyes.
When he finally got up the courage to do so, a sudden blow broke all his ribs and knocked him to the ground.
The young man managed to roll over before the blow came again, but a huge, merciless hand pressed against his gaunt chest and pinned him to the roof.
The boy screamed loudly, swiping desperately and feebly at his captor.
Sabourin leaned forward to meet his fist, his helmet facing it without hesitation.
One punch, and another, until the young man's fist split.
The poor fellow gasped, his hands sliding down to the roof.
He finally saw the tormentor clearly: a silver-gray helmet with midnight blue stripes, scarlet eyepieces, and the dazzling Sky Eagle emblem...
"Astartes."
The young man's voice was so soft that even he himself couldn't hear it clearly.
Sabourin tilted his head curiously. It was raining heavily at this moment, and rust mixed with blood stains flowed from the helmet.
"What are you doing here?"
asked the young man, his fears pushed aside by an unusual awe - he had not expected the answer, nor could he guess the answer.
"For justice."
"justice?"
The young man gasped, a strange and ridiculous word that he had rarely heard since the invasion.
Sabourin let go of his hand.
"Tell me how many people there are in your sect and what is the name of the leader."
The boy made no attempt to resist, and a strange smile appeared on his face that was soaked in rain and blood.
"The Emperor is a liar, you all are, and you will all die, and you will all—"
Sablin shook his head, stretched out his index finger, and dug into the young man's chest.
Nearly suffocating pain swept through his nerves, making him tremble and sob differently.
"Tell me, I'll make it easier for you. You'll never wonder how many ways I can torture people. It'll open your eyes."
Then Midnight Ghost let out a low groan, stood up unsteadily, staggered a few steps, and collapsed in his tattered black cloth.
The man nodded with tears in his eyes, and Sablin withdrew his fingers slightly.
Then, while trembling, the young man revealed everything he knew. Only then did Sabourin realize that this sect had unknowingly grown tens of thousands of followers!
What's even worse is that some bureaucrats who manage the camp are also involved!
"——Please, I...I said it all."
Sablin stared at the pleading young man and suddenly whispered:
"Now, repent—"
"What......"
"Repent to the Emperor."
"Emperor, I-"
The moment the young man hesitated, Sablin's palm dug directly into the other person's chest. The man's limbs trembled as if he was being electrocuted, and his eyes almost popped out of his twisted face.
He opened his mouth, but his throat was clogged with blood and he couldn't say a word.
Finally, the young man lost all movement after a few seconds.
