NCCnovel Chapter 252 The Price of Arrogance
Chapter 252 The Price of Arrogance
At Celestine's mediation, Russell and Carl temporarily ceased their fighting. Both men, covered in wounds and panting heavily, stood amidst the ruins, their eyes still filled with hostility. Rain washed away the blood from their bodies, but it couldn't dispel the tension between them.
Karl Bloodblade wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his gaze cold and full of mockery: "Russell, you got lucky this time. But don't think this is the end, I will make you pay the price."
Russell's left eye gleamed with a golden light, his voice low and firm: "Karl, your madness will only lead to your destruction. If you dare to harm the innocent again, I will show no mercy."
Karl sneered, pointing his battle axe directly at Russell, and said, "Your golden light is nothing but a bluff. Next time we meet, I will show you true power."
Russell twirled his Bloodthirsty entrenching tool in his hand, the blade gleaming with dark red blood grooves: "Karl, your threats have no effect on me. If you remain obstinate, I will personally end your madness."
Celestine's staff of light stood between the two, her gaze cold and authoritative: "Enough! Stop fighting amongst yourselves. Warriors of the Emperor should unite as one."
A hint of disdain flashed in Karl's eyes: "Sister, what you say makes some sense. But we Blood Knights will not fight alongside cowards."
Titus's voice came from the side: "We don't need to cooperate with madmen either."
"Hmph," Karl snorted coldly, "Let's go."
Karl Bloodblade and his Blood Knights left the battlefield, their crimson power armor gradually disappearing into the rain. Their departure brought no peace, but rather a tense, oppressive atmosphere. Titus stood amidst the ruins, his fists clenched, the power armor's servo systems humming low with rage.
“These lunatics!” Titus’s voice was filled with suppressed rage. “They don’t care about the interests of the Empire at all, only about their own bloodlust. Now I truly understand Lord Guilliman’s predicament—unifying these self-righteous fellows is harder than fighting Chaos.”
Russell walked up to Titus, patted his shoulder armor, and said with a helpless smile, "Titus, you're right. Most of us human soldiers follow orders and cooperate. But you Space Marines... sigh, you're a bunch of lunatics, a bunch of barbarians, and a bunch of conceited idiots."
Titus turned to look at Russell, a complex emotion in his eyes: "You're right, Russell. Without the Ultramarines, the Empire would probably have collapsed long ago. These guys are completely incompatible."
Russell gave a wry smile, the golden light in his left eye flickering slightly: "Titus, you Ultramarines are the pillars of the Empire, but the other chapters... their madness and arrogance will only plunge the Empire into a greater crisis."
Sister Celestine stood to the side, her staff of light twirling slightly in her hand. A hint of worry crossed her eyes: "Titus, Russell, we must find a way to unite these chapters. Otherwise, the threat from the Dark Eldar will only grow stronger."
Titus nodded, his voice tinged with weariness: "Celestem, you're right. But getting these lunatics to unite is probably harder than climbing to heaven."
…………
After Karl Bloodblade left Titus and his group, he began sending out his scouts to scout the area, and soon a Dark Eldar stronghold was discovered by the scouts.
The Blood Knight's scout quickly returned to report, relaying the intelligence he had gathered to Karl: "Reporting, Captain, there is a Dark Eldar settlement a few hundred miles from here. Their elite forces are stationed there, including Pain Engines, Screamers, and Eldar wizards."
Karl Bloodblade stood before the hatch of the Land assault ship, his crimson power armor gleaming blood-red in the dim light. His gaze was cold and filled with killing intent, a cruel smile playing on his lips: "Trash Dark Eldar, dare to call themselves elite? Today, I'll show them what true slaughter is. Issue my order: full force, attack! Let these self-important aliens see what true elites are all about."
Over a hundred Blood Knight warriors swiftly boarded the Land assault ship, their crimson power armor gleaming crimson in the rain. Karl stood at the forefront, his sword pointed directly at the Eldar stronghold: "For the Emperor, slaughter them all!"
The engines of the Land speedboat roared as it sped toward the Eldar stronghold. Raindrops pounded against the hull, creating a dense, crackling sound, as if setting the stage for the impending carnage.
The Dark Eldar stronghold was hidden in a dense jungle, its towering spires shimmering with an eerie green light. Pain Engines and Screamers patrolled the area, while Eldar shamans chanted strange incantations atop the spires.
Karl stood in front of the speedboat's hatch, his gaze coldly fixed on the distant stronghold: "Prepare for battle, leave no one alive."
The Blood Knights' attack swept in like a raging storm, their battle cries echoing through the heavens, seemingly tearing the entire stronghold apart. These fanatical warriors, clad in crimson power armor, wielding chainswords and explosive guns, their eyes burning with a thirst for slaughter. They had only one goal—to destroy the Dark Eldar stronghold and pile their enemy heads into mountains.
The Dark Eldar warriors, of course, wouldn't sit idly by. Their figures moved like ghosts through the shadows, their poisoned blades and dark matter weapons gleaming with deadly cold light. The Dark Eldar general, Vix Blackblade, stood atop the high ground, coldly watching the Blood Knights' charge. A hint of contempt flashed in his eyes, then he waved his hand and ordered: "Let them see what true fear is!"
The battle erupted instantly. The Blood Knights' charge was like a sharp dagger, piercing straight into the Dark Eldar's defenses. For the first few minutes, the Blood Knights were indeed unstoppable; their chainswords tore through the Dark Eldar's lines, and the roar of their slug guns mingled with the screams of their enemies. However, the Dark Eldar warriors were no easy foe. They were incredibly fast and tactically agile, quickly regaining their footing.
Vickers Blackblade personally led his elite guard into battle. His figure moved like a ghost across the battlefield, his ghostly blade tracing arcs of green energy, each swing claiming the life of a Blood Knight. His gaze locked onto the Blood Knights' company commander—Karl Bloodblade.
Karl Bloodblade was a berserker, his eyes burning with boundless rage. He wielded the Heat-Capacity Double-Edged Battle Axe, each strike carrying devastating power. His battle cry, like the roar of a wild beast, spurred the warriors around him to continue their charge. When he saw Vickers Blackblade, a maniacal grin spread across his lips: "Finally, a worthy opponent!"
The battle erupted instantly. Vickers' Ghost Blade clashed with Karl's Heatcapacity Battle Axe in mid-air, sparks flying. Vickers' movements were elegant yet deadly; his swordsmanship was like a dance, each strike precise and deadly. Karl, on the other hand, relied entirely on his ferocious strength and speed, his battle axe swung like a whirlwind, attempting to overwhelm his opponent with sheer power.
The battle reached its climax. Vickers's ghostly blades left deep cracks in Karl's power armor, while Karl's heat-capacity battle axe nearly struck Vickers's shoulder. The fight drew the attention of the surrounding warriors, and even during brief lulls in the combat, both involuntarily stopped what they were doing to watch this life-or-death duel.
“You’re nothing but an arrogant madman,” Vickers said coldly, his voice as icy as ice. “You think you can defeat me with brute force?”
Karl burst into laughter, his laughter filled with madness and disdain: "Arrogance? No, it's faith! For the Emperor, I will crush you!"
A flash of anger crossed Vickers' eyes, and his attacks became even more ferocious. The green energy of the Ghost Blade drew deadly arcs through the air, forcing Karl to retreat repeatedly. However, Karl did not back down; he swung his battle axe fiercely, aiming straight for Vickers' chest.
At that critical moment, Vickers' figure suddenly vanished, as if disappearing into the shadows. Carl was stunned, then felt a chill run down his spine. He turned around abruptly, but it was too late—Vickers' ghostly blade had already pierced his back.
Carl let out a painful roar, but he did not fall. A mad glint flashed in his eyes, and he whirled around, swinging his battle axe horizontally. Caught off guard, Vickers was struck by the shockwave of the axe, sent flying several meters before crashing heavily to the ground.
Both were severely wounded, but neither retreated. Karl's blood gushed from his wounds, staining his power armor red, while Vickers' chest was scorched by the heat of the battle axe, his black armor riddled with cracks.
"You... still won't fall?" Vickers struggled to his feet, still gripping the Ghost Blade tightly in his hand.
Karl grinned, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth: "Fall down? No, the battle has only just begun!"
The battle erupted again, but this time, both moved much more slowly. Their strength was waning, but their will remained unwavering. The surrounding fighting seemed irrelevant to them; the world consisted only of the two of them.
Finally, Vickers' Ghost Blade pierced Karl's chest, while Karl's Heatcap Axe struck Vickers in the shoulder. Both fell simultaneously, their blood staining the earth.
Vickers lay on the ground, his breathing faint. A complex emotion flickered in his eyes as he murmured, "The price of arrogance..."
Karl's gaze gradually unfocused, but a maniacal smile remained on his lips: "For... the Emperor..."