After the narrow defeat of the psyker, Howard didn't stop. Feeling as if he had truly become an "Arbiter," he turned the barrel of his heavy logging rifle toward the mutants, sentencing them to death.
Upon seeing the blue-robed psyker slain, the mutants lost morale and fell into chaos, scrambling to flee.
"Kill them all, don't let a single one escape!"
The "Arbiter" bellowed, and the workers instinctively obeyed, launching an all-out attack on the mutants.
When the battle ended, the blond noble picked up his communicator and loudly called for his appointed second-in-command.
"Yassin! Yassin!"
Receiving no reply, Howard had a guess. He shouted to a group of foremen approaching him.
"Follow me!"
Without hesitation, the foremen moved after the "Arbiter."
....
Meanwhile, in Lukevo Hive City
Thierry once again encountered a powerful opponent, a blue-robed figure with talons as sharp as chainswords, whose attacks were unusually erratic.
Every one of Thierry's moves seemed to have been predicted, making him feel like a puppet dancing to the enemy's rhythm.
The enemy's strikes always landed in the precise moments between Thierry's own movements.
Thierry realized this foe wasn't like King Nareth, who had mastered the "Otsberg-Vaya" technique entirely; it was sorcery that gave him foresight.
'If I want to kill him, I have to move faster than he can foresee.'
The "Warrior" gripped his power sword tightly, his eyes burning with fighting spirit.
'He is not like my King, I can do this!'
Thierry suddenly charged forward. For the first time since he had taken up the sword, he let his combat instincts take over.
The "Warrior's" slash ignored the limitations of the "Otsberg-Vaya" doctrine. His crackling power sword sliced through the air toward the blue-robed enemy's right shoulder.
This time, no vision of the incoming attack appeared in the enemy's mind.
His avian-like eyes darted wildly, his irises swelling like camera apertures while his pupils rapidly shrank.
He barely dodged, the power sword grazing past and tearing his blue robe apart, revealing a chest covered in grotesque, densely packed eyes.
Though he didn't land a direct hit, Thierry felt a surge of confidence; his judgment was correct.
Stepping forward to withdraw his sword, Thierry dodged a claw swipe from the left and countered with a sweeping slash.
The "Warriors'" attacks surged like a tide, each wave stronger than the last. He no longer consciously tried to apply the "Otsberg-Vaya", yet each blow instinctively reflected it.
Fourteen years of training had etched the principles into his muscle memory. Now, they flowed through him like breath.
The "Warrior's" superhuman agility outpaced the blue-robed foe's foresight, surpassing the reaction limits of his mutated eyes.
After nine consecutive strikes, Thierry combined Strike No. 1 (Piercing Thrust) with Strike No. 23 (Weak Point Exploit) in a final lunge, the power sword stabbed directly into the largest, most disgusting eye at the center of the enemy's chest.
A shrill scream followed. The power field's searing energy began to burn the mutated flesh.
Thierry twisted his wrist, spinning the blade to shred every single eye.
As he withdrew his sword, an epiphany struck him:
'All this time, I was trying to emulate the King's mastery of the 'Otsberg-Vaya' technique, yet I could never truly integrate it. But today, in a moment of crisis, I achieved it without thinking.'
"I am not some sword-fighting machine mimicking techniques—I am a 'Warrior' who, even when faced with overwhelming enemies, still believes in himself and finds the key to victory."
With this realization, strength flooded his exhausted body, and his power sword felt like an extension of his arm.
Now that he had found his own "Warrior's Path," Thierry dove into the horde of mutants, sword swinging.
....
At the same time
Howard had finally tracked down his unit via the tunnels.
Upon arriving, he saw that the passage had been blasted open, the rails destroyed, and the maglev train had plummeted to a lower level.
Leading his workers into the battlefield, the blond noble suddenly came face-to-face with a middle-aged noble dressed in luxurious clothes.
"It's you, Bogush! You traitor, you dare betray our lord!"
Bogush was visibly shocked to see the "Arbiter."
"Howard? You're still alive? Impossible, the Lightbringer said he would personally punish you!"
"No, it can't be. The Lightbringer has the power of the God of Wisdom's blessing. How could he have failed?"
The "Arbiter" sneered coldly. "Traitor—DIE!"
He raised his heavy logging rifle and pulled the trigger. Bogush was instantly riddled with bullets.
After clearing out the traitor's private troops and the remaining mutants, Howard finally found Yassin.
Yassin, with a straight nose and a resolute face, quickly approached his commander, his voice filled with remorse.
"Sir, on my way here as ordered, I encountered Bogush. He requested to join our team."
"I failed to recognize his treacherous trick. The train exploded halfway, and I was delayed."
Howard gave a small nod. The moment he saw Bogush, he had already guessed most of what had happened.
"You bear some responsibility, but you're not entirely at fault."
"Reflect on this deeply, and don't repeat the same mistake."
"Yes, sir."
..........
Nareth, having returned to Vostroya, didn't head back to the hive he controlled. He trusted that Howard and Thierry could handle the mutant assault.
His sights were no longer just on his own territory, but on all of Vostroya. To reach his goal quickly, he needed the support of the Magos of Kivior-2 from Altar One.
Just as the Fabricator-General of Mars had far more influence across the Cult Mechanicum than other forge-world lords, the Magos of Vostroya's Altar One was the spiritual leader of the local Mechanicum adherents.
From the flying vessel, he looked down at Mikhailovsk Hive.
The largest hive in all of Vostroya, it loomed like a mountain, its spire-towers piercing the yellowish clouds, and its dense buildings forming a forest of steel.
The aircraft landed at the docking bay owned by the Mechanicum atop the two tallest spire towers.
Nareth, accompanied by Rosicky and Wojciech, entered Altar One.
Moments later, they met the Magos of Kivior-2, dressed in crimson robes, with no flesh left on his body.
Nareth got straight to business.
"Magos, I've come to claim the star charts as agreed."
Kivior-2's faceplate lit up as a synthesized voice replied:
"Activating identity verification protocol. Identity confirmed: Contract partner, King Nareth."
"Requesting exchange of contract obligation information."
Wojciech promptly pulled out a datapad and opened the agreement.
The Magos's mask projected two beams of light, scanning the contents from top to bottom.
"According to contractual obligations, the full star charts held by all Vostroyan altars shall be provided to King Nareth."
The Magos's mechadendrite reached into his robes and withdrew a chip.
"Fulfilling contract obligation: Data chip containing star chart records."
Wojciech received the chip and inserted it into the datapad, quickly reviewing it.
After confirming the data, he nodded at Nareth.
With the star charts in hand, Nareth turned to the Magos.
"Magos, the transaction is complete. Now it's time we discuss the mutant uprising."