When Lion saw the person walking into the mist-shrouded sunlight, he was stunned.
The man had golden hair like The Lion, but it was half-braided with various knots and plaits, and the dazzling gold had not been tinged with the gray of age; he wore ornate armor like The Lion, but his armor was not the pitch black of night, but the dead gray of winter.
The savagery that plagued The Lion's heart was no less present in him, only undisguised, flickering in those bright blue eyes.
As he bared his teeth with a low growl, his long, narrow canines were revealed.
Relief, anger, joy, and alertness all flooded Lion's heart.
Hadn't he said no one was allowed to disturb him?
"Russ? Aren't you on Uncle Kaiser's ship right now..."
"Hello, traitor." Leman Russ's voice was deep and cold, a roar squeezed from the depths of his throat.
His eyes burned with rage, as if he wanted to tear The Lion in front of him to shreds.
Lion asked in confusion:
"Didn't you say a few days ago that you were going to get me some equipment from Uncle Kaiser..."
"Shut up! I'm going to kill you now!"
Before he finished speaking, he pounced on Lion like a beast, his hands like iron tongs going straight for the opponent's throat, his movements swift and fierce, like a true wolf king hunting.
Lion's eyes were calm and sharp; he hadn't yet understood what was happening.
He sidestepped, easily avoiding Russ's pounce, then threw a punch, striking Russ's side abdomen.
This punch carried the force of thunder, as if to tear the air apart.
However, the fake Russ was not to be trifled with; he quickly parried The Lion's attack and countered with a heavy punch to Lion's chest.
ceramite collided with ceramite, emitting a dull roar, as if two great mountains were clashing.
"What's wrong with you? Is it the influence of the Warp? I'm not a traitor, you know that..." Lion said with a puzzled expression.
Lion now believed that his explanation a few days ago could not convince his brother, but Russ's accusation still stung him.
Or perhaps the evil of the Warp here had taken control of his brother's body...
"Then why are you so furious?" Russ smiled hideously, his voice laced with mockery.
However, this was not Russ's voice.
Lion's heart sank abruptly; he realized that the person in front of him was not the real Russ.
The figure gradually grew taller, Terminator armor gleaming with a cold light in the darkness, long and dangerous claws extending from the armor, as if ready to tear everything apart... and that shining bald head...
"You are already dead," Lion said coldly, his voice devoid of any fluctuation.
The opponent was not Russ... but Horus.
He knew that the one before him was not the true Horus, but some trick of the Warp.
And the Horus before him was merely a phantom, a ghost from the past.
"An ancient Terran sage once said that a person only truly dies when his name is no longer spoken by the world," Horus's voice was elegant and charming, as if he was still the beloved Warmaster.
His fingers delicately toyed with his claws, his movements natural and fluid, as if conversing with an old friend.
"Therefore, as long as humanity still breathes, I have never truly died.
I am the other side that all my brothers now fear to tread.
You know this well; every day since you learned of my actions, you have lived this way.
You can never truly live as yourself, because you must always be vigilant not to become the next me."
Lion's fists clenched tightly, knuckles white from the effort.
A flicker of anger flashed in his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by calmness.
He knew that the Horus before him was not the true Horus, but he still couldn't suppress the anger in his heart.
Horus's existence was like a thorn, deeply embedded in his heart.
Horus continued: "And now you have become the person you wanted to be (Warmaster); you have already become the next me."
"That is my responsibility..." Lion's voice was deep and cold, like a whisper from the abyss.
He no longer hesitated, charging fiercely at Horus, his fist striking the opponent's face with destructive power.
Horus easily dodged the blow, his movements elegant and agile, as if he was still the Warmaster.
However, Lion's attack did not stop.
His fists came like a storm, each blow carrying deadly force.
Horus's laughter abruptly ceased, a flicker of surprise in his eyes quickly replaced by anger.
Their battle erupted again, the sound of ceramite colliding with ceramite echoing in the darkness.
Lion's fists were like thunder, Horus's claws like lightning.
Their movements were so fast they were almost imperceptible, only sparks flickering in the darkness.
Lion's eyes burned with rage, each of his attacks carrying destructive power.
Horus's face gradually twisted, his elegance and charm slowly dissipating in the battle, replaced by endless anger and ferocity.
"You are already dead!" Lion said again, his voice tinged with fatigue, but more with determination.
He knew that the Horus before him was just a phantom, a ghost from the past.
However, even so, he still couldn't suppress the anger in his heart.
Horus's existence was like a thorn, deeply embedded in his heart.
Horus's face changed again, his skin turning pale, several cables snaking from his skull into his armor.
Perturabo's voice was like a leaden hammer, heavy and cold.
"A very accurate judgment," Perturabo said coldly, "Too bad you didn't have such Farsight on Diamat, I'll gladly take your general cannon!"
(At the beginning of the Great Heresy, Perturabo, who was hiding his traitor identity, found his elder brother Lion, borrowed Lion's general cannon, and then turned around and used his elder brother's general cannon to attack his father's palace.)
A flicker of anger flashed in Lion's eyes, but he quickly calmed down.
He no longer hesitated, pouncing fiercely at Perturabo, his fist striking the opponent's face with destructive power.
"Give me back my general cannon!!"
Perturabo easily dodged the blow and countered with a heavy punch to Lion's chest.
Lion staggered backward; he knew that the Perturabo before him was just a phantom, a ghost from the past.
He charged at Perturabo again, his fists coming like thunder.
Their movements were so fast they were almost imperceptible, only sparks flickering in the darkness.
Lion's eyes burned with rage, each of his attacks carrying destructive power... just like the general cannon Perturabo had tricked him out of.
Perturabo's face gradually twisted, his calmness and rationality slowly dissipating in the battle, replaced by endless anger and ferocity.
"Perhaps you can bring out a brother I at least care about," Lion said coldly, his voice tinged with mockery.
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