Ferrus, Sorry I Bullied Your Little Fanboy
Nimrod watched Akurduana walk down the hillside, and memories surfaced in his mind.
In the original "Battle of Gardinal", Akurduana, with his invincible demeanor, swept aside all the "Iron Hands" powerhouses in the dueling arena except for Ferrus.
Former Legion Commander, Storm General Amad DuCaine, and First Company Captain Gabriel Santor were both easily defeated by him.
Among the other legions, only a handful, including Sigismund, could rival him.
Even without the blessing of the Four Gods, Abaddon would not be invincible against Akurduana.
Nimrod's gaze then fell on Thierry, and he had no doubt that he would win even without using the "Dawn Knight's" "Light Storm" and other abilities.
With a whooshing sound, Timur and Athena leaped from their silk scabbards.
Akurduana stared at the heavy Power Sword in Thierry's hand, enveloped in a gleaming light, and another sword that was longer than the Astartes but shorter than Thierry's.
"A fine sword."
"Yours is too." As a seasoned "Weapon Master," Thierry glanced at the twin swords and immediately noticed the admirable forging skills and the runes he didn't recognize.
"The duel for honor begins," Arsena Dunn announced briefly.
The First Court Swordsman of "Emperor's Children" and the first swordsman of "Shadow of Order" charged at each other simultaneously.
As the two swords clashed, Akurduana immediately felt numbness in both arms.
If he hadn't been prepared, he would have lost control of his swords by flicking his wrist with superb skill while using the momentum.
Thierry clearly possessed immense strength to match his giant physique, surpassing even the mighty Salamanders.
Akurduana remained calm; Thierry was enormous, so he used his agility to his advantage.
He took a side step, spun around, and delivered a seemingly casual yet swift strike towards Thierry's back.
Thierry infused his own meager Psionic Energy into the Force Sword forged by Master Forger Kaser, and swung it diagonally backward.
Lucius lay amidst the ruins, hearing Akurduana's conversation with Thierry, followed by the sound of swords clashing.
He felt an itch in his heart, as if countless insects were crawling on it.
Lucius sprang to his feet, then staggered back to the ground.
As the Paralysis in his body subsided and Lucius regained some of his mobility, he staggered toward the dueling arena.
Lucius saw Akurduana's swift movements and, even with his eyes wide open, could not quite keep up with the dazzling sword light in the purple-gold storm.
Eldest Son of Fulgrim's attacks were swifter; he was faster than he had been in the training cage and even faster than when he had fought the Xenos not long ago.
He's gotten even stronger.
Lucius gripped his sword tightly, examining himself to see how long he could withstand the Bladestorm.
Before he could reach a conclusion, he was drawn to the black-armored giant.
Thierry's sword, leaping through the storm, pierced the purple-gold storm.
The twin swords swung, stirring up clouds of dust, and dazzling light surged all around.
Lucius was astonished to find that Akurduana was trying to avoid direct confrontation, launching wave after wave of attacks with movements far faster than his own natural speed.
However, he could not completely avoid the collision; as the swords clashed, tiny sparks flew from the edges.
The broad, Power Sword and the narrow, short sword seemed to be an extension of Thierry's body.
His mastery of the twin swords was even more effortless than that of Akurduana.
The impacts became more and more frequent, like the continuous ringing of a copper bell.
In the clash of blades, the one who was at a disadvantage was actually...
Akurduana.
Eldest Son of Fulgrim, the First Court Swordsman, the leader of the two hundred swordsmen, the champion of the Palatine Blades...
Lucius could hardly believe what he was seeing; Astartes' swordsmanship had actually surpassed Akurduana's.
Akurduana had always been Peerless Swordsman; his defeat at the Xenos was due to the difference in strength.
Lord Nimrod and his father were both Primarch, so it was only natural that their swordsmanship was more perfect.
But today, he was surprised to see another Astartes completely overwhelm Akurduana.
Stevens' words lingered in his ears.
"Without the strength my father gave me, I would lose."
Lucius looked up at the mountaintop and then at Lord Nimrod.
[The power bestowed by Lord Nimrod!]
With a loud bang, he turned his gaze back to the battlefield.
Lucius saw Akurduana being knocked away; upon landing, he hastily leaped backward to avoid the oncoming sword.
Akurduana retreated repeatedly, desperately trying to fend off Thierry's attacks.
His strength, as well as his pride in speed and natural fighting skills, were inferior to Thierry's.
He had heard of Thierry before, but never imagined that his swordsmanship was so exceptional.
Even if he tries his best, there is no chance of victory.
Akurduana, seeing the dazzling sword blade hurtling towards him, raised both swords to meet it.
He knew his twin swords would be knocked away, but he had no other choice.
Just as the swords were about to clash, a burst of starlight erupted in Akurduana's mind.
The image of Lord Nimrod piercing the Xenos with his sword flashed through his mind.
Akurduana spun his twin swords and unleashed a barrage of thrusts.
Lucius's gaze couldn't keep up with the swift thrust.
Thierry, could see clearly that it was the 16th movement of the "Osberch-Vajra" exercise that he had been practicing since childhood.
Akurduana's attack far exceeded the limits of Article 16 of "Osberh-Vaya," and even when he became a "Warrior" and then Shadow of Order, he could not complete such a swift attack.
He swung his Force Sword with admiration, meeting the barrage of swords thrusting at him.
The gleaming sword tip suddenly expanded, enveloping the two swords like a net.
As the two crossed paths, Akurduana was astonished to find that his twin swords were snatched away by a tremendous force.
As the two swords slipped from his grasp, he came to his senses.
It wasn't Thierry's immense strength that swept away the two swords, but rather some kind of skill beyond his comprehension.
Balthasar Kuturi and Glenn Worsotto stared in astonishment below at how easily Akurduana had been defeated by Thierry.
Luther and Zahariel exchanged a glance, understanding that Thierry must have relied on the power bestowed upon him by Lord Nimrod to defeat the mighty Akurduana.
Akurduana was stunned for a few seconds before he came to his senses and stared at Thierry.
How did you do that?
"It originates from the art of the Kaser People, who call it 'Gekuafu Style,' meaning 'to pull back from the brink.'" Thierry sheathed his sword and looked at Akurduana with admiration.
"But I was able to train him to this level entirely thanks to the blessings of my Lord."
Akurduana nodded, looked up at the black-armored, golden-winged figure on the hillside, and spoke loudly.
"Lord Nimrod, I wish to witness your power."
He longed to experience it firsthand, to make the blurry images in his mind clear.
Nimrod flapped its golden wings and landed on the ground.
"Good."
Nimrod watched as Akurduana retrieved his twin swords, recalling how Ferrus had made him pledge his allegiance to prevent Ferrus from being attacked by the Gardinal's Star Ring weapons.
Akurduana has witnessed his swordsmanship firsthand, and now he will complete the final "Corrosion" with an absolute power even greater than that of Ferrus.
Akurduana brandished his twin swords, using Timur as a feint to draw Nimrod's attention before thrusting Athena at the Primarch's right leg.
The "Baron of Corruption" bulged his muscles, twisted his back, and swung his arms, unleashing a missile fired by the Titan.
The sword forged by the Terra master swordsmith shattered.
Ancient Greece runes crumbled.
The Power Armor chestplate was dented, and the Imperial Aquila was smashed into two tattered pieces, its golden wings flying everywhere and shattering into pieces in the air.
Before Akurduana's superhuman senses could even register the Affliction, he was already airborne before crashing heavily into the collapsing building.
The force broke more of his bones, propelling his body like a bulldozer sweeping across the building.
Amidst the flying debris, a thrilling mix of fear and elation filled Akurduana's entire body.
Akurduana crashed onto the hard metal surface of the Artificial War Satellite, sliding for dozens of meters before coming to a stop.
Akurduana awoke five days later from the Apothecary's bedside.
He opened his eyes listlessly, his mind filled with the image of an approaching fist.
The giant fist contained irresistible power, shattering the Athena forged by the master blacksmith.
A blue and white light then leaped up, piercing through the Xenos's tiny points of light.
"Sir, are you alright?"
Lucius's concerned voice rang in Akurduana's ears, bringing him back to his senses.
"Fine."
Akurduana stood up and spoke to Lucius.
"Come with me."
A moment later, Lucius and Stevens nodded to each other and followed Akurduana into the Primarch's office.
"You're awake," Nimrod said with a smile, leaning back on the Throne.
"Yes, sir," Akurduana replied, then knelt down.
"My lord, I will lead the Second Company to pledge my loyalty to you."
Lucius paused for a moment, not being from the Second Company, and then knelt down following Akurduana.
Nimrod looked at the "Corrosion" Akurduana, a similar oath he had made to Ferrus echoed in his mind.
[Ferrus, sorry, I'm already being a fan of yours.]
Fulgrim, I'm sorry I messed up, your beloved eldest son.
Slaanesh... well, there's nothing to apologize for.
As he pondered, he rose from his the Throne, approached the two men, drew the Sword of Vaul, and, "Concept Substitution" to a knight's sword, placed it on the shoulders of Akurduana and Lucius.
"I accept your allegiance."
"I will grant you strength, so that you may become even better swordsmen."
Ten minutes later, the newly recruited "Warriors " Akurduana and Lucius knelt down again.
"Thank you for your kindness, sir."