40k: Midnight Blade.

Chapter 189 14. Molten Steel ([-])

It was a right hand protected by pale, skeletal armor.

The material forming its exterior does not appear to have anything to do with steel.The extremely light paleness and the night-like darkness are mixed together, the lines are not sharp, and even give people a certain dull feeling.

At this moment, it was displayed flat in front of Perturabo, and above the palm of his hand, there was a ring.

The furrows between Perturabo's brows became deeper and deeper, as if someone had punched him with a carving knife.He didn't need to think to tell that the ring was made of fine gold.

It is roomy, the proper size for a primarch.The surface of the ring has dark lightning patterns, which are as dazzling as thunder in the night under the pale light.

"What does this mean?" Perturabo asked, staring at Khalil closely.

"This is a meeting ceremony prepared for you by your brother Conrad Koz." Khalil replied calmly—in fact, judging from the emotions he just showed, he was a little too calm at the moment , like the last trace of stability before the storm.

"He guessed that you should not need weapons, and the same is true for armor. But he can't come in person, because Nostramo still needs to be carefully guarded. This galaxy is too big, and it is better to be down-to-earth "

"So, he chose to create an ornament for you, and he made it himself. It took him a while to learn how to smelt and how to forge it. This ring took him three weeks, during which he was almost non-stop. Therefore, Take it, Perturabo."

Coming from Olympia, the steel-proclaimed giant didn't immediately take the gift that represented brotherhood. He just clenched his fists slowly, as if he was trying to endure some kind of emotion.

He made an effort, but it was not enough to undo a certain defect in his own nature.A storm-like emotion began to bloom on his face little by little, and finally turned into a roar.

"Are you insulting me?!" Perturabo roared and stared, his hands trembling, the urge to use violence evident on his face.

"Take out my brother's gift at a time like this? What trick are you playing, Khalil Rohars? Come here if you're going to do it, I'm not like Lorgar!"

"No, respected Perturabo, I don't intend to do anything." Khalil replied slowly, with no expression on his pale face under the hood.

"As you said, it would be a diplomatic accident. Beating a Primarch on his flagship, leaving him bleeding, with a swollen forehead, bent fingers, and broken ribs. This kind of thing, I'm afraid it will provoke the emperor. Emperor's attention."

silence.

There was a dead silence.

Perturabo gritted his teeth, and no more sound came out.His reason was shattered, and at one point Khalil was convinced that his words had had an unspeakably violent effect on Perturabo.

He could see the majestic anger in the other's eyes, however, Perturabo held back.

He actually held back.

"Get out." He said a word through his teeth, and then more. "Leave that gift, and leave my ship with my brother's legion, Khalil Rohars. Go at once, before I have reason."

"The Handprinter ordered us to come to your aid," Khalil said.

He didn't care about the insulting words used by Perturabo, but he didn't give him the gift either, but kept his right hand outstretched, looking like a statue.

His right hand didn't even tremble a bit.

"You still have 30 seconds." Perturabo looked at him gloomily. "I only give you 30 seconds to leave the hall. If you refuse or exceed this time, then you will be responsible for the consequences."

"as a result of?"

"Yes, consequences." The original body smiled, and the emotions aroused by the poison turned into words flowed between his eyebrows. This emotion was by no means beautiful. "You absolutely cannot afford the consequences. 15 seconds left, Khalil Lohars."

"What are you going to do?" Khalil tilted his head slightly, looking at Perturabo. "Order to let your legion attack us? Or take out the weapons you have prepared to attack me?"

"Five seconds."

Khalil finally smiled, shook his head, and put away the ring in front of Perturabo.The skeletal face climbed up from the shadows, turning his features into a hideous skull.

"Keep reading."

The heterogeneous sound after the armor change resounded in the empty hall, empty and unknown, not like the sound that humans can make.In fact, not even the power armor's breathing grids could change the sound.

It is not a power generated by technology.It sounds more like the roar of some monster from the ancient wild, long night.

Khalil started to step forward and spoke softly.

"I changed my mind."

"I am not going to deliver this gift to you. This ring belongs to Conrad Curze's brother Perturabo. It belongs to Fulgrim, who has a slightly eccentric personality, but is definitely considered a good man. Turabo.”

"And you, in my opinion, are just an extreme and stupid child."

The next second, a heavy loud noise broke out in the hall.

The sound came from Perturabo's right fist and Khalil's left arm armor. The turbulent storm turned into a shock wave visible to the naked eye and swept through the entire hall from where the fist and arm armor came into contact. The scene was so exaggerated that it was hard to believe. Imagine.

But Perturabo didn't stop, he bent down with a gloomy face, flipped his left fist, and hit it with a spin.He was aiming for the jaw, and his attack didn't work this time, a hand nimbly grabbed the wrist of his left hand before it could hit.

"Go and wear armor." The skeleton advised gently. "Remember to take your weapons too, or whatever else you need, bring them with you"

"You are such a lunatic." Perturabo withdrew his arm sullenly, and broke free from the restraint of that hand. The process was easy and natural, and Khalil did not wrestle with him. "What good will it do you, Caryl Rohals?"

"No good."

"Yes, there is no benefit." Perturabo snapped. "I have no hearing problem, so what you said just now is asking for a duel with me."

"You challenge me to a duel over one of my officers who has neglected his duty? Don't you think it's a little ridiculous? Do you think Sergeant Elteros will be grateful for this, or will his brothers be grateful for it?" Are you a little grateful?"

"They won't, they accepted me and what I brought. I want them to be warriors with a will of steel and that's the way they're going. There are going to be people who feel wrong about that.”

"You are pointing fingers at my legion from an outsider's point of view. Who gave you this right? What position do you stand on to decide to deprive my brother of the gift from me?"

Under the skeletal helmet, Khalil smiled silently.

"You talk too much, Perturabo." He sighed peacefully. "Although you sound like you are trying to overwhelm me with arguments, and make this possible bloodshed and diplomatic accident invisible, but..."

He chuckled.

The laughter was twisted and terrifying, echoing through the halls.The laughter was fueled by its hollowness, and Perturabo's extraordinary hearing made it impossible for him to miss a single detail.

At this moment, he accurately captured the disdain and contempt contained in that laughter.They're genuine, and the evidence of their existence is horribly clear.

"...In my opinion, this is more like the rhetoric you used to convince yourself. Are you guilty, respected Lord of Iron, son of Olympia, great Perturabo?"

"If you are really confident and think what you are doing is right, why do you say so many words to me? You could just drive me away like a real winner instead of here Hold on, look tough, and make people laugh."

Perturabo exhaled slowly, a breath so long that it looked like he had blown out his own lungs.

His mood began to fluctuate, starting from his face, and then his chest began to rise and fall rapidly in the uniform that was obviously put on temporarily for a meeting.

And Khalil could have foreseen its eruption early on, in fact, his previous actions were for this purpose.

He just wants the storm to come.

He and Perturabo had just met for no more than twenty or ten minutes, and even counting the time they had communicated with each other in orbit before, it would definitely not exceed four or ten minutes.But he already had a considerable understanding of Perturabo, not from experience or other things, but from a keen insight tempered by past experiences.

He probably already knew that Perturabo's rage always came out of nowhere.And he will keep trying to suppress it, unless he really can't help it.

Under the bones, Khalil's smile became more and more obvious.

"You'll regret it," said the Primarch of the Iron Warriors after a long breath.

"I come from Olympia. I spent my youth as a craftsman, a scientist and a promoter of knowledge, but that does not mean that I am not good at fighting. I am different from Lorgar, Khalil Lohars. You will soon be Understand that my words are true, and I will avenge him."

"is it?"

"Yes," answered Perturabo grimly. "Since you insist on asking for this unnecessary fight, since you have thrown my reason, my concession, and my tolerance to the ground, then I will personally take that ring back from you."

"It doesn't belong to you anymore." Khalil replied with a little pity.

　One more chapter.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)