Chapter 76
There's a reason Lucius the Eternal carries himself with such confidence.
He possesses a grotesque ability: anyone who kills him, as long as they feel the slightest joy or satisfaction from it, will find Lucius clawing his way out of their body and returning to life.
And this isn't limited to mortals. It works on Tyranid swarms, Necrons, even things that aren't truly alive. Lucius will still erupt from their bodies.
Don't bother asking about the principle behind it. In the grim darkness of the far future, asking how Lucius's curse works is about as pointless as asking why Tom and Jerry never die no matter how many anvils fall on them.
That's Lucius: the twisted neighbor nobody wants.
This obscene ability is torment enough on its own. Worse still, Lucius is a formidable warrior in his own right, so the threat of him ever truly dying is slim. Other than Guilliman's Emperor's Sword, there are very few things in the galaxy that can put him down for good.
"Hehehe~~~"
From deep inside the prison, Isis heard laughter dripping with sarcasm and delight. She knew immediately: the greatest obstacle of their mission had just arrived.
"Lucius…" she muttered.
First to appear were the ancient veterans of the Emperor's Children. Millennia of devotion to Slaanesh had sharpened their senses to an unnatural degree. They charged into the Imperial commando line with a speed no loyalist Space Marine could match.
The Space Wolves and Conquerors fought shoulder to shoulder, barely holding the corrupted veterans back.
"Traitors!"
"Hehehehe, lackeys of your Corpse-Emperor!"
Both sides spat curses at each other, though it was obvious the loyalists weren't as skilled with words as their depraved cousins. Instead, they let their weapons do the talking. Chainswords and power swords clashed in the narrow corridor, sparks spraying against the walls.
Casualties mounted quickly. The commandos had already lost many, and more lay wounded. Even the badly injured Inquisitor refused to fall back, leaning against the wall as she fired round after round down the passage.
"Die, die, die!"
But Isis had the misfortune of facing the worst of them all.
"Lucius."
"Hehehe~~"
Lucius strolled forward from the far end of the hall, his face a twisted mask of perverse joy. You learn quickly that Slaaneshi champions always look like this—either lustful, or utterly deranged.
Compared to Fulgrim, though, Lucius was almost restrained.
"Do you know me?" he hissed, dragging his tongue across his scarred face in a revolting gesture.
"Of course." Isis's tail swayed lazily behind her, as if mocking him with her own hint of Slaaneshi flair.
Dust shook loose from the ceiling as Godzilla's massive steps rumbled overhead. Then, in unison, the two combatants lunged at each other.
A psychic-imbued chainsword clashed against a finely crafted power sword etched with a golden phoenix.
"It doesn't matter—you'll die here anyway!" Lucius cackled, his lecherous laugh enough to make anyone's skin crawl.
Injectors embedded in his armor pumped his veins with exotic combat drugs, heightening his already superhuman speed. To him, the duel between loyalists and traitors nearby looked like slow motion. Only Lucius could survive such toxins; any lesser Emperor's Children marine would overdose in seconds.
"I'm so high!!!" he screamed in ecstasy.
"It just so happens I feel the same," Isis shot back coldly. "So go ahead and die."
She could have killed him outright, but she didn't. Somewhere in her mind, she had already glimpsed what would happen if she did—the disgusting vision of Lucius clawing his way out of her own body. Even in the grim darkness of the 41st millennium, that was a little too much.
She couldn't kill him while conscious of it. So she tried something else.
After several exchanges of blows, Isis leapt back, creating distance. Then, with a flick of her hand, she tied the veil from her waist across her eyes.
Lucius froze. His manic grin faltered.
"…What are you doing?"
"Nothing," she replied evenly. "Just testing if killing you unconsciously still triggers your resurrection."
"You'll die."
"If I die here, then it's part of the plan."
"Plan?" Lucius tilted his head. The word meant nothing to him.
"You don't need to understand. Come."
Blindfolded, Isis still charged forward, striking with uncanny precision.
Lucius sneered. "If you want death, I'll be happy to oblige."
But very quickly, he realized something was wrong.
Blindfolded, Isis fought flawlessly, parrying each strike as if she could see his every move. This wasn't a bluff—she really intended to kill him.
Lucius's curse had limits. He needed the one who killed him to feel something—satisfaction, joy, even the faintest hint of victory. Without it, his resurrection was uncertain. If someone killed him unknowingly, without realizing it, he might actually die for real.
That thought soured his excitement.
"This isn't fun anymore."
Lucius didn't want to die just yet. There were still pleasures to indulge, games to play.
"Olick," he muttered over his vox-link to the fleet commander in low orbit.
"Sir, awaiting your command."
"Teleport me to the ship."
"But my lord, the festivities are ongoing—there is still battle to be had on the surface—"
"The party's over."
"…Understood. Preparing teleportation."
Lucius carried a personal teleport beacon for just such occasions. A glow of white light shimmered across his armor as the device powered up.
Isis sensed it and pressed her attack harder, but blindfolded, she couldn't kill him fast enough. Lucius had all the time he needed.
"Hehehe…" Blocking one final strike, Lucius leaned close and hissed, "Goodbye for now, little lizard-girl. Next time, I'll make you feel the ultimate joy."
In a flash of light, he was gone.
Isis tore away her veil, scowling.
"Run all you like. Next time, you won't face me alone."
BOOM!!!
The ground trembled as Godzilla finally crashed through the ruined structure above, landing at the lowest levels of the prison world.
This place was lost. Chaos cultists and Slaaneshi daemons infested every corner. Only nuclear fire could cleanse it now.
And Godzilla was more than ready to oblige.
But not yet.
For now, there was someone else to meet.
Diablo.
********
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