Brother Against Brother

Akurduana felt he couldn't breathe, he felt the ground sinking, and he was even terrified— Fabius Bile Bile, on the other hand, remained rational.

He raised his hand, picked up the instrument next to the medical table, and observed the readings. The stable readings relieved him. He put down the instrument, walked to the other side of the medical table, and began to change the blood-stained bandages and gauze for the injured person on the table.

"He's bleeding profusely," Bile said without looking up. "I've tried many methods, but I can't stop the bleeding. Horus has wounded him badly."

Akurduana did not answer; he could not answer—his logic and the last vestige of his reason had been shattered. Ordinary people could not comprehend this fear, because it was not a normal emotion.

This is a complex emotion formed by a mixture of awe derived from genes and respect acquired later in life.

In other words, witnessing the dying Fulgrim drove Akurduana almost insane.

Bile glanced at him, giving him time to recover, while he continued with his work. Fulgrim's most serious injury was in his abdomen, Horus had pierced his armor and body with his Lightning Claw.

He could have torn the phoenix apart, even ripping out its spine and internal organs, but he didn't.

After effortlessly defeating the phoenix, he did only one thing.

Horus deactivated the disintegration field of the Lightning Claw and used the weapon to support his brother's severely wounded body, beginning to tell him some things.

Blood continued to spill, the phoenix struggled, screaming and roaring in pain, trying to fight back. The phoenix cursed his madness, while Horus spoke gently about his vision.

Witnessing this scene firsthand, the Phoenix Guard began to fight desperately.

The Sons of Horus fought alongside them, and when they were victorious, they fell silent at the sight of what lay before the Throne.

Bile arrived later. By then, the Emperor's Children had already been declared completely defeated. He had come to pay homage to Horus and Fulgrim —he had thought Fulgrim was merely imprisoned, but he never expected to witness such a bloody scene.

And Horus? He was speaking gently, recounting the amusing stories of his brothers in the past, the honors they had achieved together, and those wonderful thirty years. He even smiled nostalgically as he spoke of them, looking exactly the same as before.

If Ezekyle Abaddon hadn't spoken up, Bile believes he would have continued talking until Fulgrim actually died.

Stopping his thoughts, Fabius Bile Bile forced himself to focus. He didn't want to relive that scene, even though it was too maddening for him to bear.

He ripped off the old bandage from the side of Fulgrim's abdomen, revealing an empty wound. The flesh that had been struck directly by the Lightning Claw had vanished, exposing the internal organs and physiological structures beneath, something Bile could not comprehend at all.

Once again, he was reminded that he could not heal Fulgrim, and he couldn't even comprehend the Primarch's physical structure. His pride as Apothecary made him try to deny it, but he eventually sought out Akurduana.

The Apothecary's pride was nothing compared to Fulgrim's life.

A few minutes later, he finished his work, his hands covered in blood, and let out a sigh of relief. He looked at Akurduana and said, "I know you hate me, but that doesn't matter. We at least agree on one thing, right, Akurduana?"

The Emperor's Children slowly moved his neck and looked at him.

"We all want Fulgrim to live," Bile said, repeating the phrase as he removed his blood-stained medical gloves. "Phoenix must live, do you understand, Akurduana?"

". what you up to?"

"You shouldn't be asking me that question," Bile said seriously. "It's not something I can control. Listen, I want Phoenix to live, and so does Warmaster. He's changed a bit, but he still loves him."

"Love?" Akurduana asked softly. "You're really crazy, Fabius Bile Bile."

"I can't," the chief Apothecary repeated. "Listen, I can't heal Fulgrim, and neither can the Warmaster. He's a warrior, not a healer. But the Vengeful Spirit can."

"Vengeful Spirit?" Akurduana grinned as if he had heard a funny joke. He turned around to look at himself and then stamped his foot.

Then he asked Bile, "The Vengeful Spirit? Here? On this ship?"

"Yes."

Akurduana received an answer. Then, he grabbed a scalpel and plunged it into Fabius Bile Bile's chest. He precisely pierced one of Bile's hearts, and the latter did not resist, allowing him to do as he pleased.

Blood flowed freely, Bile, pale-faced, knelt on the ground, raising his hands to embrace Akurduana by the back of his neck, pulling him towards him. This wasn't resistance, but simply to ensure Akurduana could hear him more clearly.

"You must understand," Fabius Bile Bile gasped. "Try to understand this, Akurduana. Fulgrim must survive. It doesn't matter who has the means, the important thing is that he must survive."

"Go on," Akurduana said, staring into his eyes, twisting the scalpel, his tone extremely flat. "I'll decide whether or not to pierce your last heart depending on the situation."

"You must fight, you all," Bile gasped painfully. "The Vengeful Spirit will absorb the blood shed in battle to heal Fulgrim."

"Who told you these fantastical stories? Do you know what you're saying sounds like, Bile?"

"You have no other choice but to believe," Fabius Bile Bile told him firmly. "I also questioned these things, but I chose to believe because I didn't want to see Fulgrim die."

"Then perhaps you shouldn't have chosen betrayal in the first place." Akurduana sneered, pulling out a scalpel, moving it to the location of Bile's second heart, and plunging it deep. "Why should I trust you?"

"Because I want to save him," Fabius Bile Bile said, looking him in the eyes.

The scalpel was already close to his last heart. He could feel the stinging pain and the blade slowly moving inside his chest. But that couldn't stop him from staring into Akurduana's eyes; nothing could stop him.

Fulgrim must survive.

After staring at him for a few seconds, Akurduana pulled out his scalpel and asked a question.

"You just mentioned 'you guys'," he said. "Tell me it's not what I think."

Fabius Bile Bile did not answer.

--

"I can't believe it's true," said Garviel Loken. His face was contorted with pain, his lips pressed tightly together, and he sat in his seat as if on pins and needles.

Tarik Torgaddon Torgaddon sat beside him, the usually jovial warrior now unusually quiet. His hands were clasped together and rested on his chin.

Horus Aximand was the same; his face, which bore an uncanny resemblance to Horus, was now furrowed, and fine beads of sweat covered his forehead.

Of the four people present, only Ezekyle Abaddon remained calm; if you ignored his clenched fists, he seemed no different from usual.

"Calm down, everyone," Abaddon said. "We are all members of the Mournival, and we must remain calm at all times to offer the Primarch the advice he needs."

"I've already withdrawn." Tarik Torgaddon Torgaddon turned to look at Abaddon.

He didn't laugh or joke; he said it very calmly.

"I mentioned this back when I was still in Davin; I will no longer be a member of the Mournival."

"I don't want to discuss this with you right now," Abaddon said. "I know what you're trying to say. Yes, that bastard Erebus is untrustworthy, but he healed the Warmaster."

"Recovery?" Garviel Loken pressed aggressively. "Look at what he's doing now, Abaddon, and you call this recovery?"

"What else?" Abaddon retorted calmly, glancing sideways at the two of them. "He can even beat Fulgrim in a one-on-one fight. If that doesn't count as recovery, what does?"

"That was murder!" Garviel Loken growled in a low voice.

"It's common for soldiers to spar with each other and occasionally bleed."

"Then how do you explain what's happening now?" Garviel Loken asked again, pointing to the arena below. "Why did he order the Emperor's Children to fight each other again?"

Abaddon did not answer his provocative tone. His eyes were fixed on the battle below. At this moment, Tarik Torgaddon Torgaddon spoke again.

How should we report this to the Imperium?

"Horus will handle this," Abaddon said calmly. "He's the Warmaster; this is just a battle caused by a misunderstanding."

"It wasn't me," Horus Aximand said dryly, though he was often called "Horus Aximand" because of his appearance and was proud of it. Of course, he brought it up now and jumped out to play the clown just to lighten the mood.

Of course, he failed.

"Resolve? How is this to be resolved? Fulgrim is nearly dead, and his offspring are now being forced to kill each other to 'cure' their father? What kind of cure is that, Ezekyle Abaddon?"

"Don't yell at me, Garviel Loken," Abaddon said, gripping the armrests of his chair tightly. "What you and Torgaddon said in Davin was enough to infuriate me. You objected to letting the natives of Davin treat Horus, but you didn't want to offer any other options."

"Didn't I?" Garviel Loken interrupted him rudely. "Didn't I tell you we were going to find Jairzinho Guzman of the Eighth Legion? He cured Karyl Lohars and Roboute Guilliman!"

"From Davin to that damned Nostramo?!" Abaddon finally roared. "He might die on the way!"

Tarik Torgaddon Torgaddon calmly stood up and pulled Garviel Loken away. Horus Aximand. sat uneasily in place, wanting to leave but also wanting to stay with Abaddon.

Abaddon didn't speak; he fell silent. Below the platform, the Emperor's Children were piercing each other's chests.

Higher up on the platform, Horus Lupercal gazed at it all with a smile.

He wasn't insane; how could a madman possibly listen to his children's voices? He watched Garviel Loken and Tarik Torgaddon Torgaddon's departing figures and sighed regretfully.

Update complete.