Chapter 534

Whoosh!!

A blade tore through the air.

In just a brief moment, everything seemed to fall into a stagnant state; even Fabius, who had undergone multiple modifications and 'upgrades' on himself, could not make out the black shadow behind the clone OriginalBody nor its movements.

Meanwhile, the Phoenix Guard tasked with defending the hall couldn't react in time, only able to watch helplessly as their OriginalBody was brutally beheaded.

?!!

However, the clone OriginalBody itself sensed the movement behind it; its handsome, pale face instantly showed extreme shock, and it exerted all its strength to dodge to the right, preferably sacrificing its left arm to avoid having its head and neck severed.

However, the slender, sharp power twin blades crackling with azure lightning deliberately slowed their speed.

Just before it would have reached the clone OriginalBody's neck, it seemed to have deliberately altered its trajectory, not only failing to behead it, but also failing to sever its left arm.

?

Having successfully dodged the attack, the clone OriginalBody, thanks to its OriginalBody-level reflexes and agile thinking, naturally noticed the lightning claw's swing and the change in its attack trajectory.

But it had no time to think further; it immediately moved away from the throne and, from a nearby display rack, casually picked up a finely crafted longsword resembling a fencing épée to use as a defensive weapon.

At this moment…

Thud! Thud!

Only then did the flow of time return to normal, and the sound of magnetic boots stepping on the floor tiles could be heard within the hall.

Without needing to look back, the clone OriginalBody knew its Phoenix Guard had gathered around, ready to assist it in facing the enemy.

As for Fabius?

Even though he was the one who had this thing cloned, the clone OriginalBody understood that, given the situation, Fabius would definitely choose to withdraw from the hall first.

Either he would stand by and watch, or he would prepare to pack up and flee.

As it turned out, Fabius indeed had, as the clone OriginalBody expected, unknowingly made his way to the center of the hall.

!!

But when Fabius clearly saw the black shadow standing behind the throne and launching an attack at his creation (the clone OriginalBody), his expression changed dramatically and he turned to flee.

But…

Huuu—!! The hall suddenly erupted with more sounds of power claws charging.

Bang!! The force field and Spiritual Energy barrier of the special ceramite armor were directly shattered by these suddenly appearing power claws.

Sizzle!! Immediately after, the sounds of limbs being violently cut and torn echoed throughout the hall.

Ah!! Finally, came Fabius's anguished scream.

Just then, as that utterly evil fellow tried to flee, many Honor Guard wearing exclusive Terminator armor, but with even more advanced appearance and model, each resembling the black shadow that had previously ambushed the clone OriginalBody, instantly dropped their concealment and surrounded all the Sons of the Emperor present.

And Fabius ended up headbutting one of those Honor Guard, about four meters tall, whose helmet bore blood-colored wing decorations on both sides.

His fate was utterly miserable.

Being violently 'disassembled' by the Honor Guard, in just under a second he went from being an Astartes, and a chemist whose body had undergone various enhancements and Blessings, to a writhing, struggling 'stick of a person' lying on the ground.

At this moment.

Nearly sixty-odd Honor Guard seemingly appeared out of nowhere, their armor painted deep blue, dark blue, and blood red, adorned with paper-bound copies of 'Human Truth' and decorations related to bats and skulls.

The most important thing is that these sixty-odd giants' melee weapons are uniformly twin-bladed power claws, while their ranged weapons are only equipped with linked bolt-firing guns, with no one attaching anything like rocket launchers or plasma cannons.

All of this is for the purpose of being able to approach as close as possible to 'perfect stealth'.

Deep blue, blood red, and stealth—these traits clearly point to the fact that this Honor Guard, which appeared together with that black shadow, is a fully integrated unit that has joined mainstream human society in the material universe, its numbers not dwindling but growing, its legion name unchanged, currently maintaining a strength of 240,000 as the Midnight Lord elite, and also serving as the OriginalBody's 'bodyguard'——

Blood Armor Guard.

So, being able to mobilize the Blood Armor Guard and nearly beheading the shadow of the cloned OriginalBody, its true identity is none other than the Midnight Wraith Conrad.

!!

Upon seeing this situation, the Phoenix Guard quickly split into two groups, pointing their weapons and arms at Conrad, as well as dispersing to surround the Blood Armor Guard.

Both sides faced off.

Nobody managed to fire first.

And the cloned OriginalBody, whose body is mixed with the most advanced technology of the physical universe and the otherworld, as well as Spiritual Energy, and who possesses complete memories, is staring at Conrad with a furrowed brow.

You must know, this is an otherworld, its chaotic domain, yet Conrad, who possesses a physical body, has silently infiltrated this place, showing that his brother is even better at concealing aura and Spiritual Energy than before.

This made his expression even more solemn.

However, the cloned OriginalBody harbors no thought of being unable to win; as long as they can fight face to face, his brother's stealth skills seem useless now!

"."

In contrast, Conrad silently glanced at the cloned 'brother', then ignored him, turning his gaze toward the 'human stick' Fabius, and briefly said:

"Give it to the doctor."

"…"

Having received the signal, the Blood Armor Guard who had chopped off the limbs silently nodded, retracted the lightning claw from his left arm guard, freed his index finger and thumb to pick up Fabius, then activated the transport device and vanished from the hall.

Just as Conrad withdrew his gaze, the cloned OriginalBody seized the opportunity to lunge forward with a sword swing, his body still wrapped in a faint purple Spiritual Energy.

This time, it seems the Chaos side is 'not observing martial virtue'.

Clang clang clang!!

As soon as the OriginalBody moved, the Phoenix Guard, numbering more than three times the Blood Armor Guard, immediately took action, beginning to spray. 75-caliber and 1.0-caliber explosive bolts.

"Lackeys who serve the false emperor! Die!"

"For humanity!!"

At the same time, many Phoenix Guard brandished their ornate spears, letting out a battle cry of 'For humanity!' and charged at the Blood Armor Guard.

It appears that, in the eyes of these fallen Astate, they are the true 'descendants' of humanity, while the vaccinated physical-universe humans seem to have long ceased being 'pure'.

"Clang!!"

As for the two OriginalBodies on this side, they erupted in deafening metallic clashes and chopping blows.

The cloned OriginalBody that struck first could not even wound Conrad, who defended second.

After all, the cloned OriginalBody wore no powered armor, so in speed, strength, and reaction it fell short of Conrad, who had undergone G‑gland implantation and surgery and still wore OriginalBody armor.

The forces of the two OriginalBody's guards, gathered in the center and rear of the hall, were locked in a stalemate.

It wasn't that the Blood Armor Guards were inferior to the Phoenix Guards; rather, each Blood Armor Guard had to face three or more Phoenix Guards at once.

Clang!!

One Blood Armor Guard just used his right power claw to shake loose a power spear whose tip pulsed with purple lightning.

The next moment, more than a dozen 1.0‑caliber explosive bolts charged with extreme chaotic Spiritual Energy came in rapid succession.

Boom!! Boom!!

The chaotic explosive bolts struck the Terminator's energy shield; the thick explosion smoke, mixed with purple lightning, instantly enveloped the arc‑shaped shield, severely obstructing visual sight.

Immediately afterward, a Phoenix Guard gripping a heavy sword with both hands took the opportunity to stab the besieged Blood Armor Guard in the back from the rear‑diagonal.

Clang!!

But the power claw mounted on the Blood Armor Guard's left hand suddenly thrust out of the mist, easily deflecting the heavy sword's blade to one side.

At the same time, the Blood Armor Guard's massive body surged out of the mist, and his right power claw followed through to slash at the Phoenix Guard whose sneak attack had failed.

Sizzle——!!

An azure‑blue electric field exceeding a hundred million degrees collided violently with a defensive barrier capable of making space produce "waves" and "distortion."

It was only a single encounter.

Bearing a force of unknown tonnage‑level limit, the barrier—along with the Phoenix Guard—shattered and sank the floor tiles.

In less than a second, the barrier could no longer hold, completely collapsing into rippling waves that spread outward and dissipated.

Before the Phoenix Guard could adjust his angle and raise both arms to block with the heavy sword…

Sizzle!!

The twin‑blade power claw slammed into the Phoenix Guard's left shoulder, smoothly cutting through his fine armor and searing his "perfect" physique.

"Ah——!!" the Phoenix Guard cried out in a metallic tone of pain.

The power claw seemed to deliberate only after it had sliced from shoulder, through chest cavity, to the upper abdomen.

It wasn't mercy or compassion from the Blood Armor Guard; rather, this guard was not satisfied, so he freed his left hand—already finished with its motion—and together with his right drove both pairs of talons into the Phoenix Guard's abdomen, then…

A "shrip——!!!" sound.

The two pairs of talons literally tore the Phoenix Guard apart into several pieces by hand.

Blood mist exploded, and intestines, flesh chunks, and bone fragments sprayed outward.

One down.

Two more…

Rat‑tat‑tat!

But then!

The distant Phoenix Guard chose to fire in bursts, while the Phoenix Guard who had previously brandished the power spear rushed forward quickly, seizing the opportunity created by the fallen brother.

The spear tip pierced, the explosive bolts hit, and in less than an instant the energy shield came under concentrated fire.

But before the powered spear could actually pierce the shield, the Blood Armor Guard had already turned around and repeated the previous "hand‑tear" motion.

Pfft!!

Flesh and blood flew sideways.

After disposing of the two nearby, the Blood Armor Guard finally had a moment's respite and turned toward the last fallen brother who kept firing chaotic explosive bolts at him.

Actually.

Though it appeared they had exchanged many rounds and engaged in fierce combat, in fact everything took only three or four seconds.

To ordinary eyes it was merely a gust of wind passing, then a vague glimpse of an explosion, mist, and lightning.

So‑called immortal battle is nothing more than this.

Meanwhile.

Some Blood Armor Guards who are unlucky or weaker, if their energy shield and Spiritual Energy barrier are shattered by the incoming chaotic attack…

a vague golden stance will envelop this Blood Armor Guard, blocking any threat that could cause substantive harm to his Terminator armor or body.

Seeing this.

The Phoenix Guard naturally noticed that the "false emperor" was meddling.

Clearly they could have secured kills, yet they were counter‑killed by this extremely underhanded tactic—how could it be considered fair?

But before they could let out a battle cry to complain, this fight that could have ended in mutual destruction quickly ended due to unfair treatment and overwhelming situation.

Ten‑plus seconds later.

In this hall of splendid jade, filled with various artworks, corpses already littered the ground; however, "corpse‑strewn" would be more fitting.

"Strangely," these Phoenix Guard, after receiving various modifications by Fabius, if they unfortunately die in an alternate space (demons and demons, chaotic Astate often clash, casualties inevitable), they should be able to reconstitute their flesh and revive, but now there is no movement at all.

False Emperor!!

The cloned OriginalBody, upon seeing this scene, immediately forced Conrad to retreat.

It certainly understands that it's definitely that "hidden" false human emperor in the main universe that caused its offspring to completely perish.

Although it knows it is a life born through special cloning technology, and even its soul is merely a fragmented fragment provided by lust, it retains complete memory; even if its heart is fallen, it has never descended into madness.

Its treatment of its offspring is far better than that of Fogrim in Universe 03 (occupied by demons) before his fall, by multiple times; this is why the cloned OriginalBody flew into a rage.

"Brother." Conrad, who stood not far away keeping watch, instead spoke up, cutting off the cloned OriginalBody's anger, and with a shift in tone said mournfully:

"Back then, you taught me how to command the legion and how to manage planets and star sectors; you were also the brother I trusted most four hundred years ago…

"Without you, I might never have been able to integrate into the original empire, nor get along with my other brothers; although the outcome wasn't great, I still want to say thank you."

??

The Clone OriginalBody couldn't react for a moment.

Indeed.

In its mind's memory, that so-called father (Zero Three Emperor) gave it Conrad, and then it carefully taught it various experiences, ensuring that this somewhat crazy brother who shouts "the future is predetermined" every day could smoothly take over the legion.

Moreover, the Clone OriginalBody discovered through Fugureimu's memories that, although Conrad's "emotional kin" status in its innermost heart couldn't even make the top three, he was still the most trustworthy and entrusted brother.

Hearing Conrad's words of gratitude, the Clone OriginalBody was somewhat dazed on the spot, unable to figure out what the midnight specter before it was thinking.

As for Conrad…

The reason for saying that is that the reborn Fugureimu simply doesn't remember the past between them.

And saying those things to the Clone OriginalBody, while appropriately "going easy", might be his hope to, through the Clone OriginalBody, personally thank the brother from four hundred years ago, and then achieve complete relief.

"So, brother…" At this moment, Conrad again adopted a merciful, understanding (Lightning Claw) azure‑blue stance, "I will lessen your suffering as much as possible, rest in peace."

As the words fell, Conrad burst forth with true speed and reflexes, and released his unique Spiritual Energy, causing a pair of outward‑spreading blood‑colored wings to solidify behind him.

"Vanish",

"Flash".

Before the Clone OriginalBody could figure out the situation, Conrad was already standing behind it.

Immediately after…

The Clone OriginalBody's head separated from its body.

Moreover, the handsome head, upon touching the ground, emitted a "dong, dong" sound as it rolled down the steps.

Then, Conrad ordered the Blood Armor Guard watching nearby, "Take the corpse back to the doctor, and also tell Rus that we have already preemptively eliminated a potential threat for the expeditionary force."

"Understood."

(End of chapter)