There Is a Traitor Among Us

The cold, green Warp Blade, imbued with the chilling rage and hatred of the Dark Templar, retracted as quickly as it had struck. In the blink of an eye, with a gentle push from the attacker, the Arbitrator's powerless body crashed heavily onto the obsidian floor adorned with emeralds, shattering into a bloody mess, splattering blood everywhere.

"Farewell, Arbitrator. The void will cleanse your sinful soul, so that you may rest in Adun's presence."

All eyes instantly turned to the speaker of those chilling words, Dark Templar clad in an indigo night-walking robe. He stood gracefully on the arbitrator's ornate chair, retracting his Psionic Blade with an elegant flourish. The deep purple blood that had once belonged to the arbitrator on the blade was instantly frozen by the void energy surrounding him.

"I am Orega, I am the Blade of Shakuras."

The scorching buzz of the Psionic Blade and screams rang out simultaneously as numerous Dark Templar emerged from the shadows, mercilessly wielding their blades against their former Templar Knights brethren. The Dark Templar of Orega wore terrifying Hydralisk skull masks or long purple veils covering their faces, their robes emblazoned with the green scythe emblem of the Nerazim.

"Protect the arbitrator!"

The Arbitrators' Court and the Conclave were also invincible warriors. They channeled their inner Psionics power to unleash blazing Psionics blades or wielded battle axes and swords to meet the suddenly appearing Dark Templar. The entire Arbiter Tribunal was filled with the glint of blue and green swords clashing against each other.

Even in their rage, the Dark Templar and Templar Knights remain silent, clashing with combat techniques that take decades or even centuries to master. Every strike dances on the edge of a blade, fraught with danger, like a silent war drama unfolding before their eyes.

Some council guards clad in red robes and golden armor fell to the ground, their figures gradually dissipating in the light of the armor crystal array, while the dead Dark Templar were engulfed by the surging void energy.

"Why are the Dark Templar here? How could they possibly get in? Zeratul has betrayed us! He has betrayed us!" an arbitrator, who was fleeing his seat in a disheveled state, shouted, drawing in streams of black mist and shadows that stretched out like lightning.

"Templar Knights"

A Dark Templar, emerging from the darkness, cleanly and efficiently severed the Arbitrator's head. The Protoss's three powerful hearts pumped copious amounts of deep purple blood from the neat cut in his neck, creating an incredibly gruesome scene.

Everywhere were the flashing phantoms of Dark Templar and the clashing of Psionics blades, and countless glittering crystals, gems, and exquisite artifacts shattered amidst the overflowing Psionics waves.

Clearly, the Dark Templar following Orega's primary targets were the Arbitrators, and within a short period, four of the twelve Arbitrators present had perished. The Dark Templar ' attacks were unstoppable and merciless, each strike fatal.

Although these Arbitrators were masters of the Khala Path in their prime, they are now old, slow, and frail. Their elegant and luxurious attire and elaborate ornaments are heavier than armor, yet they provide the Arbitrators with plasma shields or even the slightest protection. Before the Dark Templar masters, they are as vulnerable as infants.

"Warriors, protect the Arbitrator!" Tassadar took a few quick steps forward, deeply saddened by the bloody scenes of his own kind killing each other, his heart filled with anxiety.

Tassadar reacted quickly, knowing that the immediate priority was to repel the enemies who had infiltrated the Arbiter Tribunal before figuring out what had happened. He immediately said to the dozen High Templar guarding him, "Follow me!"

"As you wish." The High Templar ignited their Psionics blades and awaited orders.

"Teacher, let me fight them off." Artanis, who was standing to the side, had already ignited his Psionic Blade, ready to join Tassadar in the battle.

"You stay." Tassadar's words immediately deflated Artanis. He summoned a group of heroic governors and executive officers. "Fenix, Talandar, Yurlan, Mojya, Eridas, let's join forces to kill the enemy."

I, Artanis, also want to fight alongside my teacher.

"You and your men protect Augustus; they are no match for the Dark Templar." Tassadar's words silenced Artanis's complaints. After all, the Protoss did not want their human friends to be harmed.

Tassadar took the lead, igniting his blade as he headed towards the seats of the arbitrators. One of the Psionic Blade he held was said to be a divine weapon once used by Adun, while the other was the Dark Templar Blade of the Master, personally given to him by the Dark Templar Dark Prelate Zeratul.

At the same time, Augustus also gave Tassadar a P-20 electromagnetic pistol, which was tucked under the Executor's robes—although the pistol was useless in the Protoss war, it was just a gift from humans.

Augustus always believed that when Psionics were ineffective, the gun would come in handy.

If Fenix was already the most valiant warrior among the Protoss, then Tassadar's prowess surpassed even that. With just a few moves, those Dark Templar who tried to stop or kill him fell to the ground, and no one could stop him.

"Why is the Conclave so lax in its defenses against the Dark Templar they despise, allowing them to infiltrate key locations so easily?" Augustus stood up, keeping an eye on the Dark Templar who might appear at any moment, and asked Artanis beside him.

"This doesn't make sense." Artanis walked toward Augustus, followed by two Protoss: one was Selendis, dressed in a deep blue robe like the night sky, and the other was the Zealot Kaldalis.

"Countless Observer hover over the vast area surrounding the Arbiter Tribunal. These loyal Aiur Sentinel ' focusing lenses are capable of detecting movement at the molecular level and even all camouflage units. The detection system inside the court is even more capable of making any enemy in stealth mode impossible to hide from," Artanis said.

"There must be something wrong with the detection device."

"Impossible. Since these detection devices are sophisticated enough and numerous enough, they couldn't possibly malfunction simultaneously on such a large scale. Someone must have let them in," Augustus said bluntly.

"There must be a mole, and he must be someone from the arbitrator class, otherwise he wouldn't have the authority to control these detection devices."

"Who is it? No, that's impossible. The arbitrators would never betray us and collude with a butcher as heinous as Orega." Artanis's first reaction was to agree with Augustus, but after thinking about it, he dismissed the idea.

"Dark Templar are coming this way!" Raynor suddenly shouted to Augustus.

Between the opulent chairs, two female Dark Templar, moving with ghostly speed and agility, were approaching.

"Kaldalis," Artanis said to his closest friend.

Without saying another word, Kaldalis narrowed his remaining right eye, ignited his Psionics blade, and charged towards the two Dark Templar. With a forward-moving slash, he found and felled one of the powerful Shadow Masters, then with a fierce attack, severed the staff of the other Dark Templar's Warp Blade.

Kaldalis simply stood there, and the Dark Templar were intimidated by his imposing presence.

"Wow, this guy's pretty good," Raynor praised Kaldalis.

"Kaldalis, my most valiant Zealot," Artanis replied.

"Damn it, I knew this was a trap," Raynor said hindsightly, his cold gaze fixed on his surroundings.

Raynor's pistol was already loaded. This unique military Colt was incredibly powerful, but it didn't catch the eye of the Protoss. Surprisingly, no one had stopped him from bringing in human weapons as well.

"Say something useful." Augustus looked again in the direction where the arbitrator Duran had left, surprised that no one except himself had noticed that a respected arbitrator had left such an important meeting, and that not a single person had spoken up to question or stop him.

Augustus turned to Kerrigan, whom he had ordered to keep a close eye on Duran: "Did you notice where that arbitrator named Duran went?"

"Arbitrator Duran," Artanis also looked in that direction, "Where is he?"

"Duran walked into the shadows of a crystal lattice valve behind the courtroom—strangely, after that, I could no longer sense his Psionics power or thoughts." Kerrigan narrowed her eyes. "I'm going to find him."

"No, don't do that." Augustus sensed that if he let Kerrigan pursue Duran, he might lose her. "If Duran reappears, take care of him immediately."

Augustus unsure just how powerful Duran's Psionics abilities truly were, but he was certainly not as weak as he appeared. As Xel'Naga, even with his power diminishing over the long years, it was likely far beyond the comprehension of ordinary mortals.

Even if it were Tassadar, Artanis, or Fenix, they might not have been able to find and defeat Duran.

If we examine the Xel'Naga from the perspectives of both humans and Protoss, they absolutely deserve to be called gods. Unless he was absolutely certain of his success, Augustus would never have dared to take that gamble.

"You doubt him?" Artanis was still incredulous. "He's an arbitrator, after all."

"Who knows if it's something else?" Raynor said. "Have you heard? A type of Zerg shapeshifting monster that can mimic human appearance has been discovered in the Sol System —although it's very different from humans, it's still terrifying."

"Yes, if he really has some problem," Artanis said confidently. "Within the Khala, Arbitrator Duran will have nowhere to hide. As long as he's still in Aiur, we'll find him."

"I hope so." Augustus had already given up hope.

"We need to find a way to take down that Protoss named Orega." Reno looked at the location of the Dark Templar Orega. If Reno were replaced by Tychus, the latter would have already chosen at least three escape routes.

Since Orega appeared, he has stood high above the blood-soaked arbitrator's chair, watching the chaotic Arbiter Tribunal as all the arbitrators and the Protoss Empire's Khalai officials in charge of recording things flee from him in a desperate attempt to escape.

"Orega! Order your followers to stop immediately, and there's still a chance to salvage the situation." Zeratul stepped forward just as Raynor was about to run over and shoot Orega a couple of times.

"Make amends? Heh heh heh heh. Make amends." Orega looked at Zeratul across from the Ring Court. The Ring Court was unusually wide and huge, so much so that they were more than a mile apart, but even at this distance, Augustus and the others could feel the cold rage of this Dark Templar.

"I have no regrets about what I am doing, about the great cause I am undertaking," he said vehemently. "Zeratul, I once considered you a brother, a close friend, and family, but look at what you have done, helping those abominable Templar Knights to judge your own people?"

"Have you forgotten the humiliations our ancestors endured? The Conclave and the Templar Knights hunted our people like rabbits in their burrows, then executed them in court. If it weren't for Adun, our lineage would have nearly been extinguished."

"What have I done wrong? You are the traitor, Zeratul. You betrayed Nerazim and your own people."

"Orega" Zeratul said with sorrow, "Adun taught Nerazim how to be hidden and in the shadows so that we could protect ourselves from our enemies, not for revenge and slaughter."

"According to our ancient traditions, when has it ever been morally justifiable to indiscriminately kill innocent people?"

"Templar Knights? They are unworthy of my people's traditions." Orega chuckled, his demeanor the complete opposite of the Dark Templar's cold yet composed image; hatred and fanaticism had Overmind this Dark Templar's soul.

Raszagal and Zeratul do not reject the Templar Knights, while Orega is the most radical representative of their race. The Dark Templar have always been decisive and action-oriented; secrets cannot be kept forever.

"How absurd and ridiculous that the matriarch and you would want to accept the Templar Knights and let them set foot in our sacred homeland, Shakuras," he said.

"This is a dark age, Zeratul. You have no idea what terrible threat we face. Weakness and pity cannot save Nerazim. I vow to restore Nerazim's glory, and I will do anything for it."

"Threat? What else do you know? Who told you?" Zeratul stepped forward and asked one question after another, unable to help but recall the Hybrid monsters that had appeared in the Luria System and the voice from the darkness.

"You simply cannot comprehend the kind of being I serve, nor will you ever understand what a cataclysmic event that will ultimately annihilate us all is." Orega was practically calling him Zeratul outright, since he knew Orega wouldn't understand anyway.

"Do not stop me, brother. The fallen souls of the Templar Knights must be banished; let their pathetic spirits be reborn into the void."