"Take your hands off that old man. If you have a problem, come at me."
Startled by Datch's loud shout, the First Murder turned toward him.
The Emperor slightly furrowed his brows. Why did the Nameless One's words sound so familiar? He felt as if he had heard them somewhere.
Datch wasted no words; he raised a sword glittering in cold moonlight and charged toward the First Murderer.
We must cut off the heads of those covered in twisted horns and fangs.
++I am the end of the Imperium++
A terrible voice echoed in everyone's hearts.
Countless voices of various pitches — male and female, young and old — overlapped as if a choir was shouting.
It produced a strange harmony; an uncontainable chill welled up from the base of the spine.
That sound was emitted from the First Murder's instinctive monster-cry.
Its purpose was to target the Emperor and all of humanity.
Shouting "the First Murder!" and charging at Datch, the middle-aged man's face suddenly split.
A terrifyingly large mouth appeared, stretching from forehead to lower jaw.
Inside the mouth there was neither tongue nor throat — only densely packed sharp teeth.
They were irregular in shape, intertwined with one another, extremely sharp, and could easily crush steel.
"Die, monster!" Datch's greatsword came down; bright moonlight drew an elegant trajectory in the air.
The First Murderer's forelimbs transformed at unbelievable speed into strange claws.
With a clang,
the moon greatsword was blocked by the opponent's claws; bright sparks flew with the sound of metal colliding.
"Oh, that sword-stroke contained ten years of my inner power, yet you well blocked it. Not bad."
Just as Datch was about to free himself and change his movement,
the First Murder delivered a fatal blow, piercing the heart with sharp claws.
Five dagger-like fingers came together, pierced terracotta and cushioning gel, and penetrated the flesh and bone hidden beneath.
The claws easily punched through Datch's back and seized the still-beating heart.
When the hand was withdrawn in the First Murder, blood sprayed and the heart was forcibly pulled out as well.
Datch felt a sharp pain in his chest; looking down, he saw a beating heart in the other party's hand.
By regular contraction and pulsation, the remaining blood was squeezed from the severed arteries and slowly flowed down the five dagger-like fingers with viscosity.
"My heart is still beating strongly."
Curiosity seeped from Datch's voice coming through the helmet speaker.
First Murder: (ΩДΩ)
Are modern humans this aggressive?
Even after having his heart gouged out, he is still this indifferent?
The First Murder had witnessed the reactions countless prey showed before dying.
Some screamed, some cursed, some pleaded. And some kept silent.
However, until then it had never seen a reaction like this. It was indifference — no, it even felt a faint black humor.
Enough — just die already.
The First Murderer swung its claws and, with swift movements, tore Datch to pieces, scattering the fragments on the ground.
The Emperor looked at Datch's dismembered remains and was a little surprised.
A very complex expression appeared on his face, mixing shock, confusion, and speechlessness. It was as if it said, "You must be joking."
No, you must be joking?
Where did that coldness you showed before go?
Where did that unmistakable intimidation go when you seized my collar?
When you bury my head in the ground, can you maintain the same composure as a ginseng-root cosplayer?
You're good at manipulating people's emotions, but bad at manipulating others, aren't you?
"I am your end."
The daemons' chaotic thoughts echoed in the Emperor's mind.
The First Murderer turned and once more stared at the Emperor mentioned earlier.
"That may be so, but today is by no means the day of my death."
The Emperor gripped his longsword firmly; psychic flame erupted from the blade.
His entire body was also wrapped in pure golden light.
I do not intend to die so easily here.
Explode, my little…
Before the Emperor could fully unleash that power, a dazzling white light like a star compressed to the extreme erupted from the side.
Datch's remains were torn to pieces and vanished as ash.
When he appeared again, he had already used the Sparklence to transform into Ultraman Tiga.
Datch also used the opportunity to borrow the power of Dyna and Gaia.
Also, by consuming several points, he was able to transform into Shining Tiga.
Three rays intertwined and fused within Tiga's body, finally converged at a single point, then suddenly erupted outward.
When the light vanished, Datch was standing there. He was not that large; he merely maintained an ordinary human form.
However, his body shone in every corner as if he were an existence composed of pure light.
Datch was still wearing the Infinity Gauntlet; the Infinity Stones set in the gauntlet emitted a brighter light than before the transformation.
"I originally wanted to fight you in an ordinary human form."
"Who would have imagined that such a thing would bring only humiliation and mockery? I will no longer pretend. Die, you piece of shit."
Datch roared, planted both feet on the ground, and charged toward the opponent.
The guards standing nearby, including Ra and Diocletian, looked shocked at this sight.
They had accompanied the Emperor on his expeditions and possessed considerable knowledge, yet even today they were forced to open their eyes.
They could not understand why this mysterious figure had suddenly changed appearance and now radiated an intimidating atmosphere.
The First Murderer looked at Datch transformed into Shining Tiga and slightly furrowed its brows.
A man whose heart was gouged out in a single blow and who was smashed to pieces in several attacks —
how did he suddenly become that strong?!
Datch's speed was astonishing. Every time he moved, afterimages appeared one after another.
He clenched his right fist; light flashed from the knuckles, and he smashed it into the First Murderer's face.
That terrifying power blew the opponent away in an instant.
The First Murderer's body flew backward from its original position like a cannon shell and crashed into the daemonic wave.
It plunged into the horde of countless monsters, instantly crushed them, cut a wide path through the daemonic wave, and only after a long time finally stopped.
Datch's terrifying power planted terror in the surrounding daemons.
He somehow stood after the First Murder.
The face dented by Datch's punch writhed violently, trying to recover.
The Emperor was freed from Datch's punch; both feet landed on the ground.
His wounds healed at a visible speed; even the damaged armor was quickly repaired, and no trace of the wounds could be seen at all.
Datch leapt forward; his moving figure left a dazzling white trajectory above the Webway.
His right fist clenched tightly again; the light striking the knuckles shone even brighter than before.
He brought his fist down against the First Murder.
The first punch struck the opponent's face that had only half recovered and smashed it to pieces again.
The second punch struck the opponent's chest and shattered the flesh that had greedily eaten chaotic energy and countless souls.
It crashed into the wraithbone strata and created a deep crater.
Third, fourth, fifth…
Punch after punch was more powerful than the last.
Every time a punch was thrown, a ring of pure light radiated from the point of contact between fist and impact point.
Wherever the pattern of light passed, the daemonic corpses it touched were purified into ash-white powder.
Stains on the wraithbone ground long contaminated by Chaos peeled away, and pure white appeared.
The daemon known as the First Murderer launched a special attack against the Emperor, but not against Datch.
With Shining Tiga and the Infinity Gauntlet, dealing with this guy is easy.
Datch continued to beat it and slammed the First Murderer into the ground again and again. The victim could not even resist and was merely tortured.
After being defeated again,
the First Murderer used its claws and struggled to stand.
On that distorted, terrible face appeared rarely seen terror and doubt of existence.
This mysterious human is too strong. I cannot win — I absolutely cannot win. The wind is strong, so let's get out of here quickly.
As long as the Warp exists, there is no need to worry that the firewood will run out.
The First Murderer turned and tried to flee.
Datch somersaulted overhead and landed firmly in front of it, blocking its path.
"They injured my father Emperor, yet they still tried to flee. They truly do not understand their own safety."
The wounded Emperor, standing immediately nearby, heard these words and his expression became somewhat strange.
"My father, Emperor"
Does the nameless one consider me one of his companions?
I knew it! No one can resist someone as charming as me, right?!
Datch shouted as he charged.
He leapt up and brought his right foot down like a whip. From the waist he brought it down in the shortest, fiercest arc; a great whoosh rang out.
He kicked the First Murder in the side with the instep and blew it off the ground.
His left fist came down from another direction and slammed the still-rolling opponent's body into the ground.
Bang!!
The First Murder became reality in the blink of an eye, before people's hearts could understand it.
Datch mounted its back.
"Jet spray, Gatling gun."
The moment he finished speaking, his fists wrapped in light continued to swing like a pendulum, as if they were a perpetual-motion machine.
Bang! Bang!
Dull sounds continued; every punch struck accurately and dealt maximum damage.
The First Murder — it involuntarily covered its head with both hands.
It originates from humanity's dark side and also includes various subconscious human actions.
The First Murder was a manifestation of existential doubt.
The script was not written this way.
When it joined the battle, it should have immediately defeated the Emperor and torn the Imperium he had built to pieces.
How can it be slammed into the ground like this?!
There is a problem here! I want to report it! This place is definitely something wrong!!
After neutralizing the First Murderer, Datch stood; even brighter light was emitted from his body.
He crossed his arms in front of his chest and slowly spread them left and right.
Light burst from his energy core, concentrated along both arms, and released a dazzling Zeperion Ray.
A gigantic wave of pure light released from Datch's outstretched arms surged forward and instantly enveloped the First Murderer's body.
Countless terrible cracks appeared in that body; in the end, it was completely pulverized and banished to the Warp.
The First Murderer is, in essence, something like a mirror reflecting humanity's dark side.
As long as evil deeds such as murder and conspiracy exist among humanity,
it will surely regenerate and become a curse upon humanity.
However, now that threat has temporarily vanished.
The Emperor began to unleash even more terrible power. Incomparable light burst from his body like a newborn star.
A golden sun rose; its bright rays illuminated the entire Webway track.
The remnants of the dark gods, the tsunami of those not yet born, and the daemons welling up from the abyss of the Warp fed on human terror and suffering.
The instant the Emperor unleashed his power, they screamed, driven by terror, and fled the battlefield in a wretched state.
Even before the Emperor arrived, their bodies began to collapse, unable to bear the weight.
Due to the Emperor's presence, the unstoppable daemonic wave retreated, driven by terror.
The daemonic wave that until recently had driven the Imperial Guard, Sisters of Silence, and other Webway forces to the brink of annihilation was now in a state of chaos and fleeing in the direction from which it had come.
They all thought they wished they had more legs. That is why they ended up in such a miserable state.
"Hurry, go to His Majesty's side."
"Fight together with His Majesty."
The guards shouted and charged toward the Emperor. They gathered around the Emperor and tried to fight the daemons together.
Ra and Dak, clad in golden power armor covered in wounds inflicted by daemonic claws, charged at the front.
Daemon blood still dripped from the blades of the guardians' halberds.
They raised their spears, ran to the Emperor's side, and cut down approaching daemons one after another.
At this time they all wore smiles.
If everything proceeds smoothly, they will overturn the fate of failure and be able to resume the Webway project.
If Number Sixteen's betrayal is resolved, the Imperium of Man will be able to overcome its difficulties.
However, this is, after all, only a fragment of history.
When the First Murder was carried out, the fulcrum of this historical fragment was also removed.
All that remained was collapse and destruction.
The first to vanish was the framework of Miracle City.
They became blazing ash, vanished with the etheric wind, and left no trace.
The fleeing daemons also crumbled like fragments of memory and gradually receded.
Even the Imperial Guard and Sisters of Silence vanished without a trace before everyone's eyes.
In the end, everything turned to dust and vanished.
Whether Webway or anything else, everything disappeared and became void and dust.
Thus a fragment of history vanished and returned to the eternal void.
The light emitted from the TARDIS telephone box stabilized the chaotic time and prevented Datch and the others from being swallowed.
The historical essence of the Webway War floated up before Datch's eyes.
It was larger and more brilliant than the one that symbolized Lost Hope.
In the dazzling light, countless images welled up.
This scene depicts the moment the Imperial Guard falls, the Sisters of Silence fighting fiercely, the machine-servants screaming as they repair machines, and the Emperor gasping in pain seated on the patched Golden Throne.
Datch stretched out his hand and seized the historical treasure in his palm.
He took a Monster Ball from his game inventory and pressed the button.
A ray of light was released; a spirit of transformation appeared from within, materialized, and let out a giggling laugh.
Datch handed the historical essence to the spirit of transformation; the spirit of transformation received the orb of light and swallowed it whole.
The historical essence was completely absorbed the instant it entered; the aura of the spirit of transformation suddenly strengthened and became even more powerful.
"The seat of the cunning lord is rotational; this time it is my turn."
Feeling the power dwelling in its body, the spirit of transformation could not help fantasizing about assaulting the Crystal Labyrinth and replacing its former master.
Ah, God of Change, I am neither a vile human nor a shameless human.
When you become the boss, everything depends on power and connections.
Who told me to attach myself to such an influential patron?
Therefore, this divine status should rightfully be mine.
After finishing all procedures, Datch guided the Emperor and the others into the TARDIS telephone box.
He walked to the control panel and skillfully operated various buttons and levers.
When scan mode resumed, a roar was emitted from the time rotor.
The indicator lamps on the console flashed at an extremely fast pace, seeking the next historical moment.
After a temporary confusion, the frequency of the indicator lamps' flashing decreased, finally turned green, and carved another name into history.
Datch examined the information recorded on the historical fragment. It concerned the "Temple of Davin."
The general history of this fragment is that, incited by Erebus, Horus
headed for Davin, yet there he was publicly informed that Governor Eugan Temba had betrayed them.
And this person had been appointed by Horus.
Horus felt humiliated that Erebus had publicly exposed his shortcomings.
Enraged, he led the Sixteenth Legion and began an operation to annihilate Eugan Temba.
He succeeded in eliminating the traitor, yet was wounded by the enemy's Anathame and was ultimately sent to the temple in order to surrender himself to Chaos.
After thinking a little, Datch operated the TARDIS telephone box and moved to a new timeline in order to search for Horus.
He wanted to use this opportunity to try whether he could complete the achievement quest "Primordial Confession."
The TARDIS telephone box crossed the chaotic flow of time and accurately identified Horus's position on the new timeline.
At this time Horus, like the other Primarchs, was actively participating in the Great Crusade.
His philosophy of war was to avoid combat as much as possible.
He employed diplomatic skill and eloquence and persuaded many planets to join the Imperium of Man peacefully.
The fleet of the Sixteenth Legion was anchored in orbit around a planet that had only just submitted to the Imperium of Man.
Horus himself descended to the ground and used that innate voice trusted by everyone.
Try speaking to the local leaders who still harbor wariness and hesitation in their pupils about the vision of the Imperium of Man.
When the Primarch finished speaking, the highest-ranking ruler stood… the staff of power was offered with both hands, symbolizing that they had chosen to join the Imperium of Man.
"In the name of the nameless ones, we will surely create a better future."
Horus received the staff and thereby acknowledged the other party's submission.
Just as he finished the conversation and returned to a room specially prepared for handling official business,
suddenly the space of the room began to distort; fine cracks appeared, and strange light leaked from them.
Then the thing he had long been waiting for suddenly appeared.
The blue telephone box that had taken away that Nameless One appeared once more before his eyes.
Horus was immediately filled with excitement and instinctively shouted, "Nameless one."
I headed toward the telephone box at a trot, fearing that if I were even a little late, the telephone box would vanish.
A hiss came from the hydraulic pipes and the hatch opened.
The moment Datch came out, Horus ran up and embraced him without hesitation.
He had not seen the Nameless One for so long that in his excitement he completely forgot etiquette.
"Nameless one, you have finally come back to see me."
Horus became so excited he was incoherent like a child and revealed the dissatisfaction he had been suppressing.
The Emperor, watching this sight from inside the telephone box, sank into even deeper sorrow.
I consider you my centaur, my head, and my home.
I'll give you a cheat code. Then on another timeline I'll make you Warmaster.
You said you care more about the unknown.
Ah, everything was wasted.
Lorgar, Angron, and Magnus felt a strange sensation seeing this sight.
Nameless one, how many primordial forces do you possess?
I thought I was the only one you had, yet it turned out like this…
"First, let go of me." Datch tried with all his strength to push Horus back, yet the other party was too strong, and he could only open his mouth.
Horus was reluctant, yet he still obediently let go.
When he raised his face, the Emperor and the other Primarchs were there.
His face that had been filled with excitement immediately took on a color of disappointment.
The nameless ones eventually ceased to regard me as a special existence.
"Are you also my brother?" Lorgar stared at Horus from top to bottom.
"Yes. I am the Imperium's first son and the first Primarch taught by the nameless one." Horus nodded. A warm, frank tone had returned to his voice.
"He poured all his strength into me, and together we built all of Cthonia."
"He bestowed great benefits upon me and even gave me the name Horus. And he said my life should take him as its support and must not be distorted by any power."
"After he left, I was very disappointed for a while."
Horus stopped and shifted his gaze from Lorgar to Angron, then to Magnus.
"But now I think he should help more people."
His words certainly stirred a ripple in the hearts of the other Primarchs.
What on earth does it mean that the monarch of the Imperium returns to his father?
What is a Primate first taught by the nameless ones?
What is a blessing from the Nameless One?
Does this mean he is boasting, flaunting his own specialness?
"It seems you received more than any of us," Angron said first with eyes without hostility. "The nameless ones did not even give us names."
"Indeed, the nameless one taught me, yet he gave me no blessing."
Lorgar nodded in agreement.
Hearing this, Horus quietly placed Angron and Lorgar in the category of "good brothers."
A person who knows appropriate behavior and understands when to advance and when to withdraw is a suitable person to associate with as a friend.
"The nameless one took me to the future," Magnus said quietly.
"At that time it was just the two of us traveling through the flow of time."
"He gave me inspiration and clearly showed me a bright future."
Horus felt jealousy hearing this, yet did not show it on the surface.
In my heart, I listed Magnus as someone I want to kick whenever I have the chance.
Damn it, why do you get more attention than I do??
The Emperor, seeing his sons rejoice at those who received more attention from the stranger and become dejected at those who did not, was completely at a loss for words.
He stood beside the control panel of the telephone box and shifted his gaze from Horus to Lorgar, from Lorgar to Angron, and from Angron to Magnus.
All four Primarchs were created by his own hands. They were his sons, his generals, and humanity's hope.
Yet they all cared more deeply about the nameless people than about themselves.
My sons, I am your true father.
Your attitude has wounded me deeply.
The old father whom no one regarded quietly expired once more.
Datch ignored the NPCs' thoughts, went straight back to the control panel, and began operating.
The growl of the time-rotation device suddenly grew louder; the telephone box shook violently, started moving again, and carried everyone across the river of time.
They returned to the planet Davin of the old timeline, guided the Emperor and the Primarchs there, and threw the historical turning point into confusion.
The most important historical connection in this fragment is that Erebus deceived Abaddon and the others.
Sending the wounded Horus to the temple ultimately became the cause of Horus being corrupted by the four Chaos Gods and falling into corruption.
Throughout the story are depicted the events leading to Magnus's failed attempt to save Horus and his final decision to send a warning message to Terra through a blood sacrifice.
By removing the wounded image of Horus from the Temple of Davin, one can destroy the central part and dismantle this historical relic.
...
A star like a crimson fireball gradually sank and vanished beyond the horizon.
A Thunderhawk roared; the flight shook considerably due to the scorching updrafts rising from the plain below.
"We must stop this no matter what."
Garviel Loken is one of the members of the Mournival and commander of the Tenth Company.
He was the only member of the Mournival who had never joined the "secret lodge."
Abaddon invited him; Aximand hinted at it; Targost even tried to persuade him to his face.
He refused all of them.
Loken was a person who greatly valued the Emperor's teachings.
He firmly believed that for humanity to achieve ultimate salvation, it must follow the Emperor.
Therefore, he despised religious practices and rejected and resisted the lodge inside the Sons of the Wolf God Horus.
After the Warmaster was wounded, Loken had been secretly investigating.
Connecting all the clues, he arrived at a terrible conclusion.
The Warmaster's wound was the result of a conspiracy by Erebus.
From the Interex civilization summit, to the theft of the enemy's sword from the Hall of Instruments, to Governor Eugan Temba's "rebellion."
This conspiracy is complex and vicious; each stage connects to the next.
He could not understand at all why this man intended to go that far!
What secret on earth is hidden behind this?!
However, Loken will surely expose this fact. Whatever the truth, the culprit must be severely punished.
The Thunderhawk crossed the plain and entered towering mountains.
The sky of Davin was a deep red like diluted blood.
Between sheer red rock peaks, glittering veins of gold and quartz were scattered.
In the last light of the sinking sunset, it emitted a mysterious radiance.
The driver operated the Thunderhawk and advanced along an ancient road beside the canyon.
That street was extremely old; the paving stones were cracked and split from weathering with the passage of time.
On both sides of the wide road stand statues of ancient kings, yet most have had the contours of their faces worn away by the flow of time, leaving only smooth, blank ovals.
Collapsed stone pillars are scattered everywhere like guards fallen to the ground.
As they approached the destination, the gunship slowed and plunged into a vast basin surrounded by mountains.
Its bottom is extremely flat; the diameter reaches several thousand meters.
In the center, a magnificent stone building constructed from mountain stone soars, illuminated by the dazzling light of thousands of blazing torches.
The Thunderhawk circled the building and discovered that it had an octagonal structure.
Every corner recalls a fortress defensive point.
Eight high towers surround a spacious central arch; their spires are illuminated by flames rising from within.
The Thunderhawk slowly descended; the interior lighting changed from red to green, then finally landed smoothly.
The moment the hatch opened, Loken disembarked from the transport.
He walked quickly toward the temple visible in the distance; his boots clattered on the old stone slabs.
Whatever Abaddon and his subordinates intend to do, we must stop them from continuing to be deceived by Erebus.
By that time it had become completely night.
However, the air was unbearably hot and dry. A thick floral scent, faintly sour and bitter, continued to fill people's mouths and noses.
It was the scent drifting from the strange flowers growing around the Temple of Davin.
Those flowers have no leaves; thick, fleshy stems protrude directly from the ground, and at the tip of the stem, a single gigantic flower with petals as thick as an animal's tongue blooms. The color of the flower ranges between deep purple and deep red.
The Davinite people along the way made way for Loken and his companions and bowed their heads in respect.
Seeing the appearance of these Devonian creatures, Loken's heart leapt with a start.
The Devonian creatures possess human genes, yet this collateral lineage has become an almost independent race.
The parts of their faces are widely spaced; their black eyes have no pupils.
Their faces and arms are covered in thick dark-brown ape-like hair.
Though feeling discomfort, Loken continued walking among the residents.
We ran up a mountain path cut through rock and headed for the observation platform at the summit.
Flames flickering in coal braziers emitted red light that reflected in the delicate scales and crystal eyes of the stone statues lining the path.
Those statues were neither human nor Davinite; they were creatures Loken had never once seen in Imperial records.
Their bodies were slender; their limbs bent with reverse joints; their heads were inverted triangles.
The quartz pupils emitted a cold, as-if-living light under the red light of the braziers.
By the time Loken finished climbing the stairs, the wounded warlord had already been carried into the temple.
The gate carved with a gigantic serpent slowly closed before his eyes, and the general's figure vanished.
The gigantic serpent winds from the left of the lintel to the right; its body covers the entire surface of the door.
The scales are carved directly from the dark stone of the door itself.
The serpent's head is exactly in the middle of the door; when the door closed, it appeared completely. The sight sent a chill down the spine.
"No—" Loken tried to run up to stop him.
However, he was blocked by Abaddon, Aximand, Targost, and the other sons of the Wolf God Horus.
Abaddon pressed his right hand against Loken's breastplate, spread his fingers, and applied pressure. Loken's advance suddenly stopped.
"We cannot do such a foolish thing."
Loken shouted toward his former comrades. "We cannot house the commander in a temple whose secrets are unknown."
"This is our last resort." Abaddon's voice was completely exhausted and carried deep despair.
"The apothecaries say they can do nothing. If we do not do this, we will lose him."
"But we should not put him inside either. The Emperor taught that civilization can truly transcend only when the last temple collapses upon the last monk's head."
Loken pointed at the completely closed gigantic serpent gate and the flames of the temple towers slowly changing color between deep red and deep purple.
"Yet you sent the Warmaster into a temple. That is an act that directly contradicts the fundamental principle of the Great Crusade. Don't you understand?"
"If His Majesty the Emperor were here, he would surely understand," Targost said.
Inside the TARDIS telephone box, the Emperor watched the projected images and lightly clenched his fist.
You agree with me? Don't mess around. I'll send you to the gods with a single sword.
It was precisely these arrogant, conceited fools who ruined their plan.
My precious eldest son has gone over to the enemy!
On the ground, Loken continued speaking. "His Majesty the Emperor would never permit such a terrible thing. Who permitted to send the Emperor in?"
"That damned secret lodge again? Or Erebus?"
"Erebus showed us the way," Aximand explained.
Loken's eyes widened with anger and surprise.
Are all of you idiots?
"What wounded the commander was the Anathame. It was a Kinebrach weapon, yet someone stole it and sent it to Davin, and Davin used it to wound the Warmaster."
Loken's voice echoed repeatedly on the highest dais of the temple; the flames of the coal braziers flickered and wavered.
"Only Erebus has the opportunity and motive to carry this out. He plotted the general's wound, then hypocritically gave you advice. And you accepted it all without using your heads at all."
These words surprised many of the sons of the Wolf God Horus.
"Impossible," Abaddon refuted first. His voice had recovered the rough yet confident ring peculiar to Cthonians. "Erebus loves the warlord from the heart. How could he do such a thing?"
"Then how do you explain this?" Loken threw down the Anathame he had only recently recovered.
When it landed, there was a crisp metallic sound like glass striking stone.
"Then how did this sword pass from the Interex civilization to the Davin system?"
"Loken, I know you do not tolerate the lodge, but stop telling such crude lies to slander Erebus."
Abaddon's gaze shifted from the Anathame at his feet to Loken's face.
"If you think Erebus is at fault, wait until this matter is resolved and then proceed with further investigation."
"If anything happens to the commander, I will absolutely not forgive him."
Loken tried to reveal all the evidence, yet Abaddon opened his mouth first.
"Stop talking. We have come this far, so let us end this conversation."
"First rescue the Warmaster. Then we can talk about other things."
"We did the right thing. Davin possesses a mysterious power that can save the Warmaster," Aximand said.
He looked as if he were trying to persuade Loken, yet in fact he was trying to persuade himself.
Seeing his former comrades in such a state, despair floated on Loken's face.
His gaze shifted from Abaddon to Aximand, Targost, and the sons of the Wolf God Horus standing at the edge of the dais. They kept silent throughout and showed support only through silence.
"You sent the Warmaster here. Everyone will regret it."
No one responded to Loken; all kept silent.
"Where is Erebus?" Loken asked. "I will find the truth."
"He is not here, Loken," Aximand said. "This is the work of the sons of the Wolf God Horus and has nothing to do with him."
"Where is he?" Loken asked. "Is he on the Vengeful Spirit?"
"That doesn't matter, Gavriel. It doesn't matter where Erebus is. What is important is rescuing the Warmaster," Abaddon said. "If we can rescue him, I intend to accept any help."
"That is a lie." Loken pointed at the serpent gate. "What if Erebus is inside?"
"What if you have handed him over to the person plotting to assassinate the Warmaster?"
"That is impossible. It is merely your groundless suspicion," Abaddon said. "Enough, Loken. Stop saying unreasonable things. Now is the time to wait, not the time to argue."
Seeing Abaddon and the others' attitude, Loken completely despaired. He turned on his heel and left the spot to search for further evidence.
At that time, space distorted and a blue telephone box suddenly appeared before everyone's eyes.
With a hydraulic hiss, the sealed door slowly opened; soft light flowed out and poured onto the stone slabs illuminated by flickering flames.
Many sons of the Wolf God Horus immediately tensed, gripped their weapons firmly, and prepared for combat.
However, when the person who came out of the telephone box appeared, cries of surprise rang across the entire platform.
Everyone stared intently at the newcomer with expressions of disbelief.
Especially Loken.
"War… Warmaster."
"Weren't you sent into the temple? How did you get out of there?"
...
Inside the cult temple, flickering candlelight illuminated a cold, dark cave.
The cracked stone walls were covered in frost like spiderwebs; the cultists' rough breathing rose as white mist.
Horus lay on a strange black stone. Blood still flowed slowly from the wound, yet his condition was far better than before.
Numerous servants of Chaos were chanting spells or earnestly carving Chaos runes.
"We will succeed soon."
Erebus looked excited.
He and many others had poured enormous effort into raising Horus to his present position.
If they failed at this stage, it would surely lead to catastrophe. As a result,
however, Erebus well understood that failure was impossible.
The four Chaos Gods were already waiting in the Warp and would try to forcibly influence Horus.
In order to keep the other party from believing the Emperor's lies, they needed to suppress the Primarch's affection for his father and make him their puppet.
Horus believed all of this was his own choice, yet in fact he was merely a puppet manipulated by the four gods.
This is Chaos's most powerful aspect: the power to make one believe that everything is one's own choice.
The sacrificial attendants had their throats cut and their hearts removed. Then those hearts were distributed among the many people participating in the ritual.
This offering is dedicated to the Lord of Fate. It is a bloody feast to please the Blood God and to invoke the power of the Dark Prince and the Lord of Decay.
When all preparations were complete, Erebus was instructed to lie down beside Horus.
A priestess applied a mysterious powder to Erebus's face.
This movement will deceive Horus; by showing a familiar face, it will more easily break through his defenses and achieve the gods' purpose.
After finishing all of this, the priestess slit Erebus's throat with a dagger.
Only through death can the soul be sent to the mysterious afterlife, converse with the lost Horus, and lure him onto the path of serving the gods.
"From today the galaxy will burn."
In Erebus's heart an inexpressible joy welled up; he felt glad at the great undertaking he was about to accomplish.
He did not possess much loyalty toward the gods. He merely did so because doing evil made him happy.
Manipulating the fate of the entire galaxy and leading it toward war and darkness is without doubt extremely rewarding.