Nareth's expression was grim. He awakened memories of fear, the memory of worrying about being erased while in the gestation pod.
'The Silent Cry is even stronger than I imagined. It's almost breaking free.'
'The restraints placed by the ancient humans are inferior to the Necrons' labyrinths.'
'The cage is already cracked.'
Nareth flickered between reality and the Warp hundreds of times, yet still couldn't find a solution.
"Psychic power!" The Silent Cry's tone was angry yet mocking, tinged with an eerie silence.
"Even in our weakened state, you cannot resist us."
"The power of the Warp is utterly incapable of contending with our mastery of the physical realm. We are true gods, the living embodiment of this universe."
SHHH, SHHH, SHHH...
A dense patter of dripping water sounded.
The power of the physical realm clashed with the Primarch's spirituality.
Nareth immediately felt his speed decrease. Each back-and-forth jump took ten times longer than before, and his position was no longer precisely controllable.
He would appear before the silver body one moment, behind it the next.
Light and shadow flickered in the Primarch's eyes. Vast energy surged, surrounding him.
Returning once more to the sealing site in realspace, he fixed his gaze on the Silent Cry.
Unable to find a solution within himself, he would seek one from the Silent Cry.
Nareth's eyes suddenly focused. He keenly perceived that what bound the Silent Cry was not a Necron supernatural labyrinth.
It wasn't a stone coffin cage around it, but countless Triangular Nightstones forming... triangles.
'The Silent Cry... broke free... attacked... the Elysian Gate...'
'was sealed by humans... not Necrons...'
As he pondered, he leaped into the Warp. His thoughts immediately flowed freely.
Inspiration struck Nareth. He had found a way.
'Triangular Nightstones, complex patterns formed by triangles, for binding.'
'I only need an instant.'
'Kingdom of Disorder, reinforce!'
With this thought, his body abruptly returned to realspace.
"We are Kalugura, the Silent Cry! You will submit!"
"You will serve!"
The Silent Cry's voice came like a raging storm, an irresistible sound battering Nareth.
The gates of his mind, like rotten doors, shuddered in the storm.
Nareth raised his power gauntlet, channeling all his spirituality into it.
As Sequence 1 Hand of Order, he roared in Dunnic.
"I!"
As his voice sounded, golden light blazed. The storm outside the gates of his mind vanished. His thoughts became clear and smooth.
"Decree Order!"
"Silent Cry Kalugura, I adjudge you: You shall be bound!"
As his spiritual energy was drained by the gauntlet, it blazed with dazzling light.
The pervasive green mist was instantly swept away. Golden light enveloped the silver body, forcing the sun-like golden Glory of Light back within.
"You... how... can..."
Light flashed violently. The Silent Cry cried out in disbelief.
It saw the black-armored, golden-winged figure fly before it.
Black mist rose. The Silent Cry felt a power being applied upon it.
Even at full strength, faced with this sudden power, it would be like a lake against an ocean.
"What..."
The Silent Cry was engulfed by the black mist, vanishing from the passage.
It drifted through the endless black mist, as if experiencing a long dream. It couldn't help but wonder if this was a lie crafted by the Deceiver.
The Bloody Chain coiled around Nareth's right pinky gleamed, rapidly replenishing his depleted spirtual energy. The throbbing in his temples gradually subsided.
The "Baron of Corruption," his spiritual energy mostly restored, surged forth again.
The threads of the seventh layer, at his direction, rapidly combined, forming triangle after triangle, reconstructing the complex cage the ancients had used to bind the Silent Cry. From every angle, they ensnared it.
The Silent Cry, unaware of how long had passed, suddenly felt the golden light dissipate.
It looked around at the boundless black mist and tentatively released its power.
Golden light shone through its body. "Release me!"
The "Baron of Corruption" watched the constructed triangular cage. He saw the 'ropes' formed by the threads of law tremble slightly.
'It can bind the Silent Cry, but the cage formed by the 'ropes' will need frequent repairs with psychic energy.'
'Though it was a close call, the objective is achieved at least.'
'Hmm, they should be waking up soon.'
With a thought, Nareth returned to the real world.
Gren Vosotho opened his eyes, looking around confusedly.
His mind was stuck at the moment countless triangles shattered. After that, he had completely lost consciousness.
He hadn't dreamed. He had even lost the awareness granted to an Astartes, as if falling into an empty space, becoming silent nothingness.
"You're awake." The voice came from the Primarch's Aide.
Vosotho sprang up from the ground and asked Arsena in confusion.
"Where is Lord Nareth?"
"My Lord has likely already dealt with the... being that caused you to lose consciousness." Arsena paused for a moment, then continued, "That... being."
"Being..." Vosotho repeated softly, recalling everything since entering the passage.
'That... being... could make me lose consciousness without any resistance.'
'And Lord Nareth... could deal with it!'
As Vosotho pondered, he saw Lord Nareth approaching with Zso Sahaal and the others.
He noticed Lord Nareth's armor was undamaged.
His face gleamed in the faint light.
His gait was steady as a mountain as he ascended step by step.
Vosotho couldn't help but think.
'Faced with this, perhaps even Father could not have handled it.'
'At the very least, not as calmly as Lord Nareth, as if it were something insignificant.'
Nareth keenly noted Vosotho's gaze upon him.
'Hmm... Guilliman's son, after a silent dream, has been "corroded" by me.'
Nareth led the group, continuing their ascent step by step.
Urian Vendraig, who had lost hope of proving himself to his father and felt the guilt of keeping a secret, had been suffering psychologically. Now, upon waking, he felt an unprecedented lightness.
He followed Lord Nareth with a light step, then saw Lucius rushing down.
Seeing Lord Nareth ascending step by step, Lucius swung his fist in annoyance.
Balsar Kurthuri, upon waking, was still pale, his thoughts sluggish from having touched that unknown, powerful being.
The Stormbird took off. Nareth instructed Arsena.
"Prepare to set sail for the Caelium Gate."
"Leave three squads stationed here. Begin immigration from Necromunda."
"Mine the ore here. Hunt the color-shifting leopards. Excavate the trees in the grey mist."
"By your will," Arsena acknowledged.
At the same moment, the Shadow's Sovereignty departed Piraeus orbit, in the Primarch's Palace.
Nareth extended his hand, sliding a golden potion towards Vosotho.
"Drink this."
Considering Vosotho was influenced by Ultramarines culture, emphasizing aspects of order like planning and preparation, though he hadn't fully met Guilliman's standards and was still influenced by Terran culture, he was generally suited to the Justiciar Pathway.
Seeing Lord Nareth offer no explanation, Vosotho simply took the vial.
Five minutes later, the newly promoted Arbiter knelt.
"Thank You, my Lord, for Your gift. I will surely use the abilities You have granted me well."
Caelium Gate Zone. Urian Vendraig stood in the shadow of a large viewport, gazing into the void.
The blue Ultramarines fleet was orderly and well-organized.
The ships of the Alpha Legion, azure blue and emerald green intertwined, had just been formally revealed. They were linked by chains bearing the Alpha and Omega symbols, constantly changing.
Urian's gaze finally settled on the familiar black-terracotta armor. His expression was complex.
'Father Lion, will you discover the secret I keep for Lord Nareth?'
He saw the black-terracotta Stormbird launch from the Invincible Reason, drawing nearer. His expression darkened.
'Even if Father doesn't discover it during this brief stop at the Shadow's Sovereignty for the war council, Luther has over two thousand knights now. It will be hard to avoid Father's gaze in the coming decisive battle at Taxal.'
Urian sighed. He knew Luther and Zahariel wouldn't give up this chance to win knightly glory.
Hundreds of knights had given their lives for this great battle.
'It wouldn't be fair to Luther to miss this battle.'
'But Father... might not see it that way.'
.....
If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.
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