When the alarm blared,
Konrad Curze walked to the window.
He saw the warships in orbit above the planet, as well as the Imperial soldiers performing airborne deployment.
The Lion planned to unleash his wrath upon this world, cleansing the sin in his eyes.
Hiss~
An indescribable sharp pain surged through his head, making Konrad Curze, a Primarch, gasp and show a look of agony.
Visions of the future flickered wildly, eventually dissolving into chaos.
It was exactly the same as what the Tenth Prophet, Talos, had encountered.
Wherever the God Chosen appeared, the future became chaotic.
They seemed to possess some special ability unknown to ordinary people, capable of interfering with the development of fate.
"Father, is this your new trump card against the Gods?"
Konrad Curze muttered to himself.
The Night Lords standing nearby had long grown accustomed to their Primarch's madness.
When the Primarch stopped speaking, a Midnight Lord stepped forward to report on the battle.
"Talos has sent back the latest news: those God Chosen have already scaled the walls."
Konrad Curze bared his white, sharp fangs.
"They're certainly fast."
"Activate that device according to the original plan, then trigger all the traps."
"..."
After several Night Lords left with their orders, a black-robed figure emerged from the darkness.
"This is your last chance. With the Staff of Creation, you can break the dimensional blockade and safely leave Tarsus World."
"Once the Lion launches his assault and destroys that artifact, you will be trapped here by the dimensional space, becoming a prisoner of the Empire."
"Given the Empire's current strength, once imprisoned, you will have no chance of escape."
Konrad Curze turned to look at the black-robed figure.
His pale face revealed a terrifying smile, like a vengeful spirit.
"If you talk any more nonsense, I'll kill you before I deal with the Lion."
The terrifying gaze sent shivers down the black-robed figure's spine.
Even though he held the galaxy's oldest secrets and knew how to contact the Outer Gods,
Facing the Midnight Ghost, he felt a fear that originated from his very core.
"When you fail, I hope you won't regret it."
The black-robed figure didn't dare to gamble on whether Konrad Curze would tear him apart.
After speaking, he turned and vanished into the darkness.
Only when the other party's aura completely disappeared,
did Konrad Curze turn to look outside, his expression grim.
"This is my home turf. There's no way I can lose."
...
As dusk fell,
the sky was illuminated by exploding artillery fire.
The windows of towering buildings twitched uneasily from the dazzling beams that filled the sky.
Phantoms danced in the atmosphere,
countless starships fought chaotically,
their weapons unleashing scorching beams,
drawing short-lived, nameless, shining constellations.
The city walls were filled with a hail of gunfire.
Torrents of bullets formed iron snakes that coiled into the air.
Straight energy beams flashed by in an instant.
Dense bolter rounds were like an overwhelming hailstorm.
Inside the fortress, riddled with spikes and traps, fierce sounds of fighting and shouting echoed.
Thousands of Players became the spearhead of the assault,
piercing into the defensive lines formed by the Night Lords.
Wherever they went, terrifying explosions occurred, spewing out scattered fireballs.
"For the Emperor! For the Silent Night Sky!"
The Warmaster shouted.
"Are you changing your female Bodhisattva now?" Tenjiro swung his staff, releasing a psychic lightning bolt that sent several war servitors created by the Dark Mechanicum flying.
"No, I just shout whatever comes to mind."
At this moment, four Night Lords appeared before the Warmaster.
But in an instant, they were cut down by his sword, turning into scattered pieces of corpses.
"I haven't even used much strength, why are you all falling down?!"
The Warmaster flicked the long sword in his hand, saying coolly.
Tenjiro, who was following closely behind him, couldn't help but retort,
"Look at you, you're so capable! Are you planning to turn Warhammer into a Journey to the West sequel?!"
"That's a great suggestion. Next time, I'll train with a staff, have Dora Workshop craft me a set of equipment, and install a flight device. Seventy-two transformations, somersault clouds, everything will be arranged. From now on, please call me Grand Sage Grandpa."
The Warmaster's words made Tenjiro's expression subtle, and Twisted person, who was beside him, couldn't hold back.
"So, Cyber-Bi Ma Wen, huh?"
The smile on the Warmaster's face froze.
"If you were in Journey to the West, you definitely wouldn't survive a single episode before Sun Wukong bashed you to death."
"Then I wish him an early reunion with his seventh sister from Lao Jun's alchemy furnace." Twisted person said.
"What are you talking about?"
Not far away, Zhuge and Sea Turtle finished off the enemies at hand and walked over.
Blood dripped, drip, drip, from their weapons.
"The Warmaster said he wants to cosplay Sun Wukong, practice with a staff…" Twisted person said, "And also go to the alchemy furnace to bring back his seventh sister."
"If you become Sun Wukong, aren't you afraid of being suppressed by Nurgle under the Five Fingers Mountain?!" Zhuge, upon hearing this, teased.
"Why is Nurgle the Buddha?!" Sea Turtle looked puzzled.
"Nurgle advocates equality for all beings and sentience in all things. Isn't that enough?" Zhuge retorted, then continued.
"Tzeentch, that bird man, loves schemes and tricks, mastering knowledge and change."
"Khorne is a brainless brute. He's good for hacking people in Causeway Bay, but definitely not for being the Buddha of Spirit Mountain."
"Slaanesh is immersed in desire and passion. It's good for holding an open-air party, but that's about it."
Tenjiro nodded, agreeing with Zhuge's words.
"Zhuge's words make a lot of sense. Nurgle is indeed an absolutely benevolent and equal existence."
"Whether it's bacteria and viruses, or anything else, in Nurgle's eyes, they are all equal lives. This philosophy actually aligns quite well with Buddhist standards."
"From our perspective, they are the evil side, spreading disease and death."
"But in their eyes, we are the evil ones, after all, we harm so many living beings for our own survival."
"The Great Unclean Ones are covered in plagues and viruses, isn't that the best proof of 'If I don't go to hell, who will'?!"
"That's an interesting argument." Twisted person said, "Waking up in a dream, only to find out I'm the villain."
"No wonder those believers always release venomous snakes and mineral water. I finally understand now."
"From now on, please don't call him a shut-in fatty. Please respectfully address him as Buddha." Zhuge said with a teasing expression.
Just as the Warmaster was about to join this absurd conversation, his expression suddenly turned serious.
"Enemies are coming."
The moment his words fell,
strange howls echoed from the end of the distant corridor.
Shadows rolled in like a tide, surging, spreading along the walls, devouring all forms, dissolving all light.
The expanding shadows shrieked, their voices like wind whistling through a skeleton's teeth.
This darkness was like black ink poured into water, spilling into the cold Reality, slowly spreading.
Pairs of eyes filled with greed and desire emerged from the darkness, and grotesque Warp creatures appeared.
They howled eerily as they rushed towards the Players.
"This again?!"
Tenjiro looked at the Warp creatures and couldn't help but complain.
"These traitors always call their Warp daddies whenever they can't win!"
"Without the Warp, they've completely forgotten how to fight."
The Warmaster switched equipment.
The greatsword in his hand was replaced by two longswords etched with Ecclesiarchy runes and glowing with a faint light.
"Hahaha, if they don't call the Warp, then how do you expect them to fight?!"
Lights flickered in the air,
several drones were released.
Blessed gun barrels began to spin.
As the surging darkness rolled and materialized into hairless hounds and hunched monsters wielding greatswords.
Bolter rounds and beams poured down like rain.
Brass casings clattered crisply on the ground.
Lasers sliced through the air, sharp and emitting a pungent ozone smell.
The high-heat beams ionized the air, thus forming ozone.
Other Players made the same movements, switching equipment and releasing drones for fire support.
As the first echelon of the Player faction,
they all had the top-tier equipment in their hands.
Dealing with demons, while not as easy as for the Demon Hunter Battle Group or Ecclesiarchy Players, was not a difficult task either.
The appearing demons were torn apart by the furious firepower and banished back to the Warp.
Even if there were some stragglers, the Players would easily deal with them.
"Advance! Capture the Midnight Ghost alive!"
The Warmaster shouted, urging his companions to advance towards the fortress core through the path opened by the dense artillery fire.
Along the way, they swept through, crushing the demon tide.
Of course, not all Players could handle the demon tide with the same ease as the Emperor Niuma Battle Group Players.
Director Qi's side was almost driven to question reality.
A massive, rotting giant toad opened its mouth,
a foul-smelling tongue instantly shot out from its mouth,
hitting a Player a dozen meters away.
Splat!
The power armor, made of sturdy alloy, showed dents and cracks, and the Player flew backward,
colliding with the wall with a thud, instantly losing all signs of life.
"Holy cow, that tongue is too fierce?!"
Silent Night Sky's eyes widened.
Then he rolled, dodging a hound-like demon that lunged at him,
He rolled, evading its sharp fangs and claws,
Then he raised his bolter and fired at the monster.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The sound of bolter fire continued non-stop,
hitting precisely inside the monster's gaping maw, blowing its head off instantly,
The headless corpse fell to the ground, twitching wildly.
"Switch weapons! Ordinary weapons aren't strong enough against demons. Use only weapons blessed by the Ecclesiarchy; they'll have a bonus."
"Don't be a lone wolf. Form small teams with your nearby companions and fight together."
Director Qi shouted, telling his companions to switch weapons.
Under his command and guidance, the Players, who were almost overwhelmed by the demon tide, quickly reformed their ranks and stabilized their position.
Bang! Bang!
Silent Night Sky took down two more demons.
A black shadow suddenly lunged out, moving swiftly, like a ghost.
In an instant, it used the sharp claws in its hand. Silent Night Sky reacted quickly, immediately dodging to the side,
But he was still a bit slow,
His arm was severed by the opponent.
The power-armored arm hit the ground with a dull thud.
The built-in medical system activated, injecting medication and nanomedical molecules to seal blood vessels and stop the gushing blood.
The power armor's repair function also automatically engaged, spraying quick-setting foam to seal the gap.
"Damn it! Is that how insidious they are?!"
Silent Night Sky looked at the black shadow in front of him, his face grim.
The opponent was not a demon, but a Midnight Lord.
The opponent had been hidden within the demon tide,
And seized the opportunity to launch a fatal blow at him.
Just as this Midnight Lord intended to take advantage of Silent Night Sky's injury to finish him off,
Another figure rushed over.
No sooner said than done,
A bright spear flew through the air, accurately and forcefully piercing the Midnight Lord's chest.
Accompanied by a pained wail,
The Midnight Lord was impaled by the spear, piercing through its entire body, and was nailed to the wall.
The one who came to rescue him was Director Qi.
Without any hesitation, he aimed the bolter in his other hand at the Midnight Lord and pulled the trigger.
Bang!
A gunshot rang out, and the enemy's head, wearing a spiked helmet, exploded.
The headless Midnight Lord lost its life,
The corpse, nailed to the wall, went limp.
"Well done."
Silent Night Sky got up from the ground,
Giving a thumbs up to Director Qi, who had provided timely support.
Neither side had time to worry about the other,
Then, more demons charged at them.
"Form ranks, hold steady," Director Qi shouted.
Silent Night Sky also yelled, "Night Lords fear nothing!"
This made the Night Lords warriors hiding in the shadows look grim.
The enemy was shouting their slogan, making this bloody war somewhat absurd.
The Players were unstoppable, crushing the demon tide and the Night Lords.
However, this offensive only lasted for the first few lines of defense; once they entered the core area of the fortress, the Players at the forefront suffered greatly.
Konrad Curze had people set traps in every corner.
Hiding in corners, they would suddenly trigger booby traps.
With a bang, several Players were scattered into pieces, directly logging off.
Others, as they walked, would suddenly have fire spray out from the corridor above, burning them to cinders.
There were even more exaggerated instances.
A heavy truck with sharp spikes mounted on its front roared down the corridor, directly impaling all unavoidable Players like a beehive and crushing them into fragments.
A group of Players who reacted too slowly were directly sent back home by these traps.
"Damn it, that's too insidious!"
"They're practically beasts! Beasts!"
"Konrad Curze, that evil spawn, must die, must die!"
...
The logged-off Players gathered on the Warhammer OL official website forum, vehemently complaining about the inhuman Konrad Curze, which made many netizens both gloat and envy.
If You Become a Buddha: "Damn it, when will it be our turn!"
Wu Dang Wang also wants to be a pirate king: "Let us bear this suffering."
Can I Say I Like You: "Please, give this child a spot, I can't take it anymore."
Hellfire Adeptus Reporting: "Why?? Why isn't it open beta yet??"
...
The Rock Fortress.
Azrael led his guard to the outer observation platform to search for the Primarch.
Passing through the gate, they followed the transparent reinforced glass floor-to-ceiling windows and saw parts of The Rock Fortress's structure.
Engine motors and generator sets the size of cities, magnificent ramming prows, and ports large enough to accommodate battleships were all visible from the observation platform.
The Rock Fortress is one of the Empire's few colossal warships, its scale so immense that it is difficult to describe in words.
Numerous warships surrounded The Rock Fortress, like a swarm of bees serving their queen.
At this moment, the Lion stood on the observation deck, which was encased in transparent tempered glass.
There were no lights here; the lighting system was off, and the only light sources were the distant starlight and the glow of the warships' engines.
Against the backdrop of the starry sky and the fleet, the Lion appeared as a solitary silhouette.
The Primarch was not admiring the starry sky; instead, he was scrutinizing the Tarsus World imprisoned by the dimensional device and the numerous battlefield data, grasping the rapidly changing situation.
"Azrael."
The Lion knew the identity of the newcomer without turning his head.
"Primarch."
Azrael knelt on one knee, and the guards behind him did the same.
The Lion remained silent until Zabriel and several other Fallen Angels emerged from the darkness, then he spoke to Azrael.
"Rise."
As his voice fell, a tactical holographic projection appeared before everyone, its scan range covering the entire war zone.
Hundreds of runic symbols on it accurately displayed the deployment range of the Imperial army.
"Warp energy readings are surging; the enemy has summoned reinforcements from the Warp," the Lion said calmly. "I didn't expect Konrad Curze to still have a trump card that can ignore the dimensional blockade."
"We did sense a powerful anchor point; the power of the Warp is using that anchor point to affect the Reality universe."
As the Chief Librarian of the Dark Angels, Ezekiel stepped forward and explained to the Lion.
"Can you lock onto it?" the Lion asked his son.
"Yes, we can," Ezekiel nodded. "From the moment it appeared, we have been monitoring it."
"Then let us go forth and put an end to this farce," the Lion said.
"As you wish, my lord," Azrael nodded.
They left the observation platform and walked out, passing through the Avenue of Heroes and entering the Teleportation Hall.
By now, the busy Tech-Priests had gathered here.
The teleportation device was activated, Warp energy crackling and surging, coiling around the heavy power units.
Scriptures flickered incessantly in the air, churning on the boundary between Reality and the void.
"Teleportation path established," the Tech-Priest responsible for the teleportation platform immediately reported loudly as the Lion entered.
Once all the warriors had assembled, the Lion gave the order.
"Activate it. Let us bring this war to an end."
...
Amidst a flash of teleportation light, the Lion arrived on the battlefield.
Their destination was clear: the location of the Warp anchor point.
The world dissolved and twisted under the Aetheric power, and chilling currents rushed towards them.
Everyone present felt a sudden state of weightlessness, along with faint, gloomy howls, as if from a gaping abyss, lingering hauntingly in their ears.
The nausea and disgust came and went quickly.
When the sensation of the material world returned to their senses, the Dark Angels stepped into Reality.
The knights vigilantly raised their blades, searching for any potential enemies.
In their minds, the Night Lords would surely attack them first.
But nothing happened.
It was too quiet.
The Lion stood in the center of the formation, his hand on the hilt of his sword, wary of his brother's sudden attack.
The coordinates were accurate; the Adeptus Mechanicus's Tech-Priests had teleported them to their destination.
Their current location was a spacious hall, devoid of any luxurious decorations, only the bones of criminals hanging from chains.
In the center of the hall, a large and complex altar device was placed, seemingly sculpted from some kind of bone material.
A giant staff floated above the altar, surging with astonishing power.
Ancient runes breathed and glowed as if alive.
The light emanating from this altar was the only light source in the hall, but it did not illuminate a large area.
At the edges of the light, shadows secretly and silently drifted across the floor, dancing in the viscous, butter-like halo.
"This must be the Warp anchor point!"
The Lion immediately saw the staff and his brother.
The latter sat on a dark throne at the end of the hall, completely shrouded in darkness.
Azrael and the others saw only darkness.
Only the Lion could see Konrad Curze and his sons in the darkness.
"Prepare for battle," the Lion said.
As soon as his voice fell, the Night Lords and those twisted Warp creatures charged out of the darkness, attacking the knights.
In an instant, a fierce battle erupted between the two sides.
The Lion roared as he swung his sword at the charging traitors.
He was like a hurricane, overturning everything in his path.
Amidst the dense enemy gunfire, even Imperial heroes like Azrael were constantly in danger, but the Lion moved freely across the battlefield, unstoppable.
Heavy weapons could not track and lock onto his position, and light weapons could not harm him.
He was like a primal, savage force, raging across the dusty battlefield.
In an instant, the Night Lords and Warp creatures attempting to encircle the Lion were cut down.
The longsword forged by Alex was wielded, incomparably sharp, treating all obstacles as nothing.
Seeing his sons being slaughtered, Konrad Curze rose from his throne and entered the battlefield to block the Lion.
Clang~~
A metallic clash sounded.
Sword and claw met, creating ripples and fluctuations.
"Welcome to my kingdom, my brother."
"You seem very pleased," the Lion stared at Konrad Curze.
"I was right," Konrad Curze said. "To rule the stars, fear is the best method."
"Under my governance, the crime rate on every planet remains in the single digits."
"Sounds pretty good," the Lion said with a half-smile. "You still love to promote your twisted logic. By the way, what about your prophecies? Why don't you stick to them anymore?"
When the topic of prophecy came up, Konrad Curze's pale face looked grim.
Sanguinius's actions on Davine had shattered his prophecies, as he had not foreseen anything that happened on Davine.
This gave him a sense of frustration, as if he had been toyed with by fate.
That's why he had pleaded with Sanguinius to let him return to see their father, for only by seeing his father could he verify his suspicions and find salvation.
It was hateful that Sanguinius had thrown him into the void, leaving him to suffer in agony and despair.
It served that fellow right to be beaten to a pulp by Horus.
"Speechless, are we? It seems you've realized your own foolishness," the Lion scoffed. "You were so foolish as to be blinded by some specious prophecies, becoming a tool for the Gods to harm our father."
"The empire you have built now is just another foolish decision."
"After ten thousand years, your mouth has become as venomous as Dorn's," Konrad Curze snarled, revealing his sharp fangs.
"But it doesn't matter; once you fall into my hands, I will help you correct it little by little."
Konrad Curze transformed into darkness and lunged forward.
The Night Lords also shrieked, attacking the Lion.
"Then let's see who the ultimate loser will be."
The Lion let out a low growl and swung his sword, attacking Konrad Curze.
"Protect the Primarch!"
Azrael and other Imperial heroes also continuously shouted, guarding the Lion's left and right, sharing the pressure of the encirclement.
They were all equipped with longswords and shields covered in bright electrical arcs, forming a solid defensive line around the Lion, blocking the Night Lords and Warp creatures.
The Lion and the Midnight Phantom engaged in a desperate struggle.
The two demigod-like warriors around them stirred up the endlessly terrifying Immaterium energy.
Their domains unfolded, overlapping and tearing at each other.
The gloomy forests of Caliban and pure darkness clashed in the metaphysical realm.
However, Caliban's dense forest quickly gained the upper hand, suppressing the surging darkness.
This was because, occasionally, small robed figures would appear in the gloomy woods, raising torches to dispel the darkness and illuminate the forest.
When Konrad Curze approached, they would instantly vanish, as if they had never appeared.
The actions of these robed figures greatly weakened the darkness's erosion of the forest.
And in the Reality battle, the Lion also gained the upper hand.
When Konrad Curze's claw attack missed, the Emperor's Shield in the Lion's hand seized the opportunity to strike him in the face.
The force was so great that Konrad Curze was thrown heavily, breaking several giant pillars before finally stopping.
"Ten thousand years ago, you were not my match, and now, you are still not my match."
The Lion's tone was calm as he stepped towards the fallen Konrad Curze.
Cough! Cough!
Konrad Curze struggled to get up, spitting out blood.
"It's a bit too early to talk about victory and defeat."
"What other trump cards do you have? Use them all at once," the Lion said.
Konrad Curze's eyes turned completely black, and his teeth became even sharper, like a legendary malevolent spirit.
"You are too arrogant, Lion. If you hadn't come here, I would never have been able to defeat you."
"Unfortunately, you came here, so you are destined to lose."
The Midnight Phantom extended his hand, and the staff surging with terrifying energy suddenly exploded, releasing a terrifying burst of power.
The Warp creatures, losing their anchor point, screamed as they were dragged back to the other side.
The Lion's eyes widened; he hadn't expected his opponent to be so resolute.
An ancient artifact was directly detonated.
A terrifying impact instantly erupted, affecting everyone in the hall, sweeping them up.
They were like leaves before a hurricane, at its mercy, crashing into the walls.
The Players who had just reached the entrance were also swept away by the force, falling heavily.
However, the main target of this force was Lion.
An indescribable terrifying force violently picked him up and then violently slammed him to the ground.
That malevolent force also surged into his body, destroying his armor and his body.
If it were an ordinary person, he would have instantly turned to dust.
Lion's armor became tattered, and his body showed signs of rotting scars.
The forest representing the essence of the Warp also seemed to have suffered some terrible disaster.
Leaves fell, tree trunks decayed, and the ground became rotten.
The robed little people sprinkled water, emitting a green glow, onto the withered trees, restoring their vitality.
But for the vast forest, what they did was merely a drop in the ocean.
"Didn't expect it, Lion, that I would detonate this ancient relic."
Konrad Curze walked to Lion's side, using both hands to lift his former brother high.
"This one is for you, Lion."
As he finished speaking, Konrad Curze slammed Lion onto his knee.
The crisp sound of bones breaking echoed throughout the battlefield.
Lion let out a painful sound, his snowy hair becoming disheveled.
The Warmaster, Tenjiro, and other Players who had gotten up and rushed back into the hall all showed shocked expressions.
Lion had actually been back-broken by Konrad Curze.
"Is this revenge?" Silent Night Sky asked with a stunned expression.
"Does that even need to be said!"
"These brothers of theirs are really interesting; back-breaking is almost becoming a running gag."
"Hahaha, there won't be a plotline where Leman Russ gets back-broken by Magnus later, right!"
"Warhammer fatalism: he who breaks another's spine shall have his own broken."
"..."
"Alright, stop playing around." Tenjiro interrupted these unruly fellows. "Lion is an important NPC; if something happens to him, the plot will definitely deviate significantly."
"That's right, go protect the Primarch."
"Quick, don't let the Night Lords kill Lion."
"..."
The Players shouted various slogans as they charged towards Konrad Curze.
"Quick, go protect the Primarch!" Azrael also shouted mournfully.
Zabriel and Lazarus, along with other warriors, desperately hacked at the enemies blocking their way, trying their best to get closer to Lion's location.
The remaining Night Lords surged out, blocking the Players and the Dark Angels.
Konrad Curze tossed Lion aside, declaring his victory.
"The victor has been decided, Lion; this time, I win."
"Ten thousand years, and I am the ultimate winner."
"Cough! Cough!"
The indescribable agony made Lion cough uncontrollably.
Then, he burst into laughter.
"Do you think that with the help of those rats and a few ancient relics, you can win?"
"What other tricks do you have?!" Konrad Curze sneered.
"We were once our Father's favored, but now, we are not. His favored is someone else, and now, he is coming."
Lion looked at his brother, a mocking expression on his aged face.
As his words fell,
Loud holy hymns resounded, echoing throughout the entire Tarsus World.
The people of Tallsa showed stunned expressions,
All looking up at the sky,
Only to see a sun, golden and black overlapping, slowly appearing.
"What's happening?"
"I see the sun rising."
"What's going on??"
"..."
The faces of the common people showed expressions of shock or dread,
They could not comprehend such a miracle.
The Players who were fighting also sensed the anomaly.
The Warmaster instantly knew what was happening and couldn't help but complain.
"Brothers, the King of Pretenders is about to descend."
Having experienced so many descents of the Guide,
The Warmaster was already familiar with this process.
Damn it, he always descends at the most opportune moment for showing off.
What kind of operator is this?!
They don't let the Players show off; they let NPCs show off every day.
If they keep doing this, they won't make any money!
Twisted person turned his head and glanced at the Warmaster.
"How did you become a Guide God Chosen with that attitude?!"
"How hard did you have to sell yourself to have such a background?! You say such things and don't get struck by lightning!"
Zhuge and Sea Turtle nodded.
"I also think this game is too dark."
"Yeah, the difference between Players is greater than the difference between Players and dogs."
The Warmaster's face darkened.
What do you mean,'sell myself'?!
He gained the Guide's favor and trust entirely through his strength.
Strength, understand?
"Impossible!"
Watching a pillar of light pass through the fortress wall and merge into the fallen Lion's body,
Konrad Curze's face showed shock; he couldn't believe what he was seeing.
He wanted to rush forward and stop it,
The next second, he was struck away by that force.
A pair of terrifying and dangerous eyes crossed the stars and fell upon Konrad Curze.
"Fa... Father."
Konrad Curze realized who the owner of those eyes was, and he retreated repeatedly in fear, letting out a terrified sound.
"Forgive me, I was wrong."
"..."
Konrad Curze incoherently tried to explain, to beg for his Father's forgiveness.
But the owner of those eyes did not speak, only watched him coldly.
The fallen Lion felt an infinite power surging into his body.
His broken spine instantly healed, and his damaged armor was also restored, looking brand new.
His eyes spewed forth light, a mixture of gold and milky white.
At the wounds, the decaying flesh was rapidly incinerated, and new flesh quickly regrew.
The decaying forest once again became lush and green, emitting a radiance that could shield equipment.
The robed little people cheered, then hid themselves within the dense forest.
Alex, enveloped in light, descended onto the battlefield, shattering the sturdy fortress, hovering in the sky, and watching Lion and the Night Lords.
"If the one fighting alongside me on Macragge back then was Sanguinius, Konrad Curze would be utterly insignificant."
"Teaming up with Guilliman was the nightmare of my life."
Lion thought to himself.
He felt more physically robust now than when he was young; every inch of his flesh was filled with terrifying power.
"Konrad Curze, why aren't you laughing now??"
Lion held a shield in one hand and a sword in the other, gazing sharply at his brother before him.
Konrad Curze received no response from the Emperor.
The gaze of those eyes gradually disappeared, causing him immense pain.
His Father ultimately refused to speak a single word to him.
Konrad Curze got up and raised his head to face Lion.
"Where is your arrogance, Lion? Relying on external power isn't your style."
Konrad Curze turned his head to look at Alex, who was hovering in the sky.
He had thought victory was within his grasp, but then Sanguinius suddenly appeared, completely reversing the situation.
"You were the one who broke the rules first," Lion said nonchalantly.
Being old had one advantage:
He regarded empty things like honor very lightly.
"Now, let us have a fair duel, Konrad Curze." Lion stared at Konrad Curze.
"This is not a fair duel!" Konrad Curze shouted, his face grim.
Lion ignored the shouts of his traitorous brother.
He stepped forward and charged.
His longsword slashed at the opponent.
Konrad Curze was forced to engage.
He leaped backward, and as the sharp blade cut through the air, he roared and thrust his claws at Lion's throat.
Lion raised his shield, blocking the sharp claws, emitting a piercing and grating sound.
The battle between the two became increasingly fierce, but Konrad Curze was no match for Lion.
Detonating that ancient relic was his last resort.
Now, he had exhausted all his tricks.
Alex, suspended high in the sky, would occasionally launch a psychic lightning bolt at him without warning.
Under such circumstances, Konrad Curze quickly fell into a disadvantage.
"I will not lose to you again!"
Konrad Curze shouted, suddenly transforming into a black mist and lunging at Lion.
He unleashed all his power, launching a storm-like offensive, attempting to turn the tide.
However, Alex, backed by the Lord of Humanity and the entire human civilization, possessed endless power.
Lion continuously received replenishment and blessings,
Maintaining his physical strength at its peak.
Konrad Curze eventually ran out of stamina and was defeated.
"This is me returning the favor."
Lion lifted Konrad Curze high and slammed him onto his knee.
Accompanied by a crisp sound, Konrad Curze let out a cry of pain.
He was back-broken once again.
The Players watched, stunned.
Good heavens, this kind of thing can actually go back and forth.
You Primarchs are really fixated on back-breaking, aren't you?
With Konrad Curze defeated, the remaining Night Lords in the Tarsus World were also surrounded and annihilated by the Players and the Dark Angels.
Talos, as the Tenth Prophet, resisted until the very last moment.
They had originally planned to capture him alive, but that guy, using some unknown means, managed to break through the dimensional blockade and escape.
However, he was the only one who slipped through the net.
The other Night Lords were captured in one swoop, either killed or taken prisoner.
Konrad Curze, as the Night Lords, was like a dead dog, locked in a stasis field by the Players.
During this time, the chuunibyou declarations of the fringe civilizations were, of course, not lacking.
"Night Lords—Konrad Curze, you have committed the unforgivable crime of betrayal against Imperial law. In the name of the Emperor's enforcer, I declare all your powers revoked and order your sealing and apprehension! Surrender now!"
At this point, the Dark Empire established by the Night Lords also disintegrated.
The Imperium would once again rule the worlds controlled by the Night Lords.
Most of the populace expressed enthusiastic welcome, while a portion of the nobility was furious,
Because after the end of the Night Lords' rule, their powers were not restored; instead, they were even more thoroughly stripped by the Imperium.
In their view, this was undoubtedly a betrayal, a trampling of Imperial law, and an insult to those who had rendered service.
Lion's solution to these matters was simple:
Send them directly to the Warp to meet the Emperor.
Presumably, his Father would surely give these people a satisfactory answer.
When the dust settled on the Tallsa battlefield,
On the other side of the galaxy, a major event also occurred.
The Hunter Demon Battle Group, ordered to find the Old Ones' ruins,
Began to work towards restoring the Qiqandi's nation,
In exchange for clues about the Old Ones' ruins from them.